Myelomalacia or hematomyelia is softening or liquefaction (death) of spinal cord tissue. It is an acute progressive, and ischemic (due to impaired blood supply) necrosis of the spinal cord after injuring the spinal cord. The premature death (necrosis) of the spinal cord cells first appears at the site of the injury but progresses forward and backward from the point of injury over time.
This condition may be caused by trauma or by invertebrate disk herniation. Symptoms of Myelomalacia can take five to seven days after the initial injury to show. They include
Paralysis of hind limbs
Numbness to pain in areas lower than the injury
Loss of tone and reflexes in hind limbs due to softening of spinal cord (malacia)
Hyperthermia
Dilated anus
