Subacute combined degeneration

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Central nervous system

Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord; SCD

Early treatment improves the chances of a good outcome, so the disease should be treated promptly.

Vitamin B12 is given, usually by injection into a muscle. Injections are often given once a day for a week, then weekly for about 1 month, and then monthly. Vitamin B12 injections must continue throughout life to prevent symptoms from returning.

How well a person does depends on how long they had symptoms before receiving treatment. If treatment was received within a few weeks, complete recovery usually occurs. If treatment was delayed for longer than 1 or 2 months, recovery isn't as complete.

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If you had symptoms for many months without receiving medical care, treatment may slow or stop your symptoms, but it is unlikely that you will recover function that you have already lost.

Untreated, the disorder results in progressive and irreversible damage to the nervous system.

Complications can include permanent, progressive loss of nerve and mental functions.

Call your health care provider if abnormal sensations, muscle weakness, or other symptoms of subacute combined degeneration develop, particularly if there is a personal or family history of pernicious anemia or other risk factors. Early diagnosis and treatment improve the chance of a good outcome.

Review Date: 06/25/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).