BACKGROUND: Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord is caused by vitamin B12 deficiency and is a kind of degenerative disease owing the characteristics of nervous system diseases. In addition,different patients have variously clinical manifestations and various prognoses after vitamin B12 therapy.OBJECTIVE: To investigate and analyze diagnosis, clinical manifestations and prognosis of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord.DESIGN: Case analysis.SETTING: Department of Neurology, the Third Hospital of Peking University.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 21 subacute combined dcgeneration of the spinal cord patients including 14 males and 7 females aged from 33 to 82 years were selected from Department of Neurology, the Third Hospital of Peking University from January 1999 to December 2005. Duration from onset to final diagnosis lasted for 1.5 - 108 months. All patients had typically clinical manifestations; meanwhile, level of serum vitamin B12 was decreased and/or vitamin B12 therapy was effective.

来源：中国神经再生研究（英文版） 2007 年 2卷 2期