Effect of corticotropin on the absorption of vitamin B12 in the subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord.

The treatment of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (SCDSC) is based on a pretended etiological unity between the hematologic and neurologic manifestations, according to the old concept of the neuro-anemic syndrome. The first attempt of treatment of that disease was the liver therapy, introduced in 1926 by Minot and Murphy 2 3 , but the neurologic results did not correspond to the success observed in the anemic condition. In 1947, the discovery of the folic acid strengthened the doubts on the etiological unity of the hematologic and neurologic syndromes; actually, the initial findings of Spies et al. 3 1, later confirmed by several investigators, showed that the folic acid, although improving the blood conditions, had no effect on the neural involvement or even made it worse. The advent of the vitamin B 1 2 was received as the solution of the therapeutic problem, for it influenced both the hematologic and neurologic manifestations.