Encephalomyelitis - Definition

Encephalomyelitis is a general term for inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, describing a number of disorders:

• acute disseminated encephalomyelitis or postinfectious encephalomyelitis, a demyelinating disease of the brain and spinal cord, possibly triggered by vaccination or viral infection;
• encephalomyelitis disseminata, a synonym for multiple sclerosis;
• equine encephalomyelitis, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne viral disease that infects horses and humans;
• myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome, a debilitating syndrome of unknown etiology which was once thought to involve inflammation of the brain.