Table 1.

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) symptoms compiled from the 4 review articles (if DCM was given as a differential [italicized rows], the mean rank and percentile rank in the differential list was recorded).

DCM symptoma		Reviews in which symptom was mentioned, n (%)	Symptom checkers in which DCM was listed as a differential, n (%)	Mean differential rank for DCM	Mean total number of differentials	Mean percentile rank in differential listb
Motor symptoms
	Abnormal gait	4 (100)	0 (0)	N/Ac	22	N/A
	Loss of balance	1 (25)	1 (25)	8	14	42.9
	General weakness	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	94	N/A
	Lack of coordination	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	13	N/A
	Upper limb or arm weakness (paresis)	2 (50)	1 (25)	4	10	60
	Upper limb or arm spasticity	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	22	N/A
	Clumsy hands	3 (75)	0 (0)	N/A	17	N/A
	Loss of hand dexterity	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	6	N/A
	Hand weakness	1 (25)	1 (25)	4	5	20
	Lower limb or leg weakness (paresis)	3 (75)	0 (0)	N/A	14	N/A
	Lower limb or leg spasticity	1 (25)	2 (50)	5	19.5	61.2
	Lower limb or leg jerking	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	24	N/A
	Lower limb or leg stiffness	2 (50)	0 (0)	N/A	15	N/A
Sensory symptoms
	Upper limb or arm numbness or sensory loss	2 (50)	3 (75)	10	27.3	57.1
	Upper limb or arm paresthesia	2 (50)	1 (25)	4	14	71.4
	Upper limb or arm pain (brachialgia)	2 (50)	1 (25)	4	12	66.7
	Hand numbness or sensory loss	2 (50)	3 (75)	12	22	40.7
	Hand paresthesia	1 (25)	1 (25)	5	17	70.6
	Lower limb or leg numbness or sensory loss	2 (50)	2 (50)	14	34	49.9
	Lower limb or leg paresthesia	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	30	N/A
	Lhermitte's sign or phenomenon	4 (100)	0 (0)	N/A	3	N/A
Autonomic symptoms
	Fecal incontinence	3 (75)	0 (0)	N/A	16	N/A
	Urgency of defecation	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	22	N/A
	Urinary incontinence	4 (100)	2 (50)	15	24.5	40.5
	Urinary urgency	2 (50)	0 (0)	N/A	18	N/A
	Urinary frequency	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	28	N/A
	Urinary hesitancy	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	13	N/A
Arthritic symptoms
	Neck stiffness	2 (50)	1 (25)	7	12	41.7
	Neck pain	3 (75)	3 (75)	15	21.7	33.0
	Neck crepitus or clicking	1 (25)	0 (0)	N/A	16	N/A
	Shoulder pain	1 (25)	3 (75)	15	27	43.4

^aFor each symptom, the number of reviews mentioning it and the number of symptom checkers that give DCM as a differential for that symptom were recorded.

^bThe mean percentile rank for DCM in the differential list represents the percentage of conditions that were ranked below DCM in the differential list (the higher the percentile rank, the more predictive the symptom). This allowed for comparison of DCM ranking among differential lists of differing lengths.

^cN/A: not applicable.