[Syringomyelia and intra-rachidian fluids. IV. Syringomyelia to the naked eye].
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The authors report their experiences with two patients suffering from syringomyelia on whom terminal ventriculostomies were carried out. The good results which can be obtained if the patient is in a relatively good neurological condition are pointed out. The principle of terminal ventriculostomy is based on the assumption that syringomyelia is hydromyelia that has become symptomatic; with this in mind, it seems reasonable to relieve the patient's symptoms by draining the distended central canal at the lowest possible level. The father of the operation is Dr. Gardner, who has thoroughly studied syringomyelia, and proved that syringomyelia is not only an active hydromyelia but, that a "non-communicating" syringomyelia is a non-existent entity (1976, 1977).
Although some causes of communicating syringomyelia are known most cases of the disease can only be described as idiopathic. The results of a questionnaire suggest a high incidence of difficult labour in the mothers of syringomyelia patients. A high proportion of patients had forceps deliveries, and a high proportion were the first born in their families. Because the validity of taking a birth history at the age of presentation (mean age 40 y, S.D. 14 for this sample) might be questioned, patients admitted with other disorders (mean age 40 y, S.D. 16) were used as a control group. These patients matched the syringomyelia patients in social class and place of birth. It seems likely that birth trauma may be a cause of tonsillar descent through the foramen magnum (ectopia) and of arachnoiditis; both conditions are often present. Once the tonsils become engaged in the foramen magnum, difference between the cranial and spinal pressure may, over the course of several years, cause the tonsils to descend further, thus leading to communicating syringomyelia. Over half these patients have a history of difficult labour and it is possible that birth injury may be a factor even where birth is regarded as normal.
The paper is concerned with a clinico-statistical study of syringomyelia according to the data of neurological hospitals in the Samarkand region from 1931--1970. It was established that the portion of syringomyelia among other diseases of the nervous system is much lower (0.38%) than in other more northern regions of the country (3--7%). The author marks a significantly greater amount of patients among the city population rather than in the rural population (2/3) and a prevalence of non-natives over natives (more than 2/3). The development of syringomyelia is more milder, "benign", especially in the native population. Quite possibly this may be connected with the climatic-geographical and bio-geochemical traits of the Zarafshanskaya valley, which differs to a great extent from these indices of the territory between the Vyatka and Kama rivers where syringomyelia is frequently encountered.
A casually related triad of syringomyelia tarda, postparaplegia with secondary neuropathic arthrosis of the shoulder has been presented. The development of neuropathic arthrosis of the shoulder has been presented. The development of neuropathic arthrosis of the shoulder in 2 of our paraplegic patients prompted us to look for a correlation and/or a common etiology. Paraplegia secondary to spinal cord injury could be causative or at least an associated factor in a delayed proximal syringomyelia. It is the syringomyelia which can lead to the neuropathic arthrosis in the upper extremity, mainly, in the shoulder. There is an interesting pathological association of paraplegia and syringomyelia with neuropathic arthrosis. Earlier awareness of any neurological changes in the upper extremity of the paraplegic patient could point to recognition of syringomyelic process and portend a tendency toward neuropathic arthrosis of the shoulder. This would require a high index of suspicion, and subsequently a preventative, protective orthopedic approach to minimize the usual functional deformity that occurs when this neuropathy involves the shoulder.
An arachnoid cyst lying anterior to the cervical cord at level C6-7 was found in a 28-year-old woman believed to have syringomyelia. This diagnosis was based both on previous findings at laminectomy and on computerized tomography. The diagnosis of arachnoid cyst was suspected because of clinical features atypical for classical syringomyelia and a history of arachnoid cysts found during childhood. Air myelography demonstrated an extramedullary intradural mass anteriorly that proved to be an arachnoid cyst. Drainage and subtotal resection resulted in marked clinical improvement. This case illustrates the need for reevaluation when a patient with "known" syringomyelia presents an atypical clinical picture. Anterior cervical arachnoid cyst, which may accompany or succeed posterior arachnoid cysts, should be considered.
The clinical and neurological features of four siblings (2 male, 2 female) affected by syringomyelia are described. A fifth sister was affected by an acoustic neurinoma. Since neither parent showed signs of syringomyelia, this is considered to be a datum substantiating the dysembryogenetic theory of the syringomyelia syndrome.
The orthopaedic surgeon is often the first consultant to whom a patient with syringomyelia is referred. The disease is not as rare as he may suppose, but its early presenting features are very variable; if he relies solely on such familiar features as pes cavus and scoliosis, he may well miss the diagnosis. The commonest presenting symptom is pain in the head, neck, trunk or limbs; headache or neckache made worse by straining is particularly significant. A history of birth injury also may suggest the possibility of syringomyelia, especially if any spasticity subsequently worsens. Neurological features which may be diagnostic include nystagmus, dissociated sensory loss, muscle wasting, spasticity of the lower limbs or Charcot's joints. Radiographic features include erosion of the bodies of cervical vertebrae and widening of the spinal canal; if, at C5, the size of the canal exceeds that of the body by 6 millimetres in the adult, pathological dilatation is present. The presence of basilar invagination or other abnormalities of the foramen magnum, of spina bifida occulta and of scoliosis are further pointers. Thermography is a useful way of showing asymmetrical sympathetic involvement in early cases. A greater awareness of the prevalence of syringomyelia may lead to earlier diagnosis and to early operation, which appears to hold out the best hope of arresting what is all too commonly a severely disabling and progressive condition.
The clinical course of 12 patients who underwent terminal ventriculostomy for syringomyelia is presented. Opening the central canal at the tip of the conus medullaris is a relatively benign procedure that improves the symptoms of syringomyelia and syringobulbia. This canal normally terminates at the tip of the conus, but in each of the 12 surgical specimens it continued into the filum terminale for distances up to 8 cm. In most cases the tip of the conus was located more caudally than normal, indicating some degree of tethering in fetal life. This belief is supported by the fact that the newborn, whose conus is tethered to a lipoma at the sacral level, may develop syringomyelia in adult life.
On the basis of clinical studies of 387 patients with syringomyelia the authors describe different forms of this disorder. The results of these studies conducted by means of one derivation echoencephalography depending upon the age and disease duration in patients with syringomyelia are demonstrated. The possible mechanisms of syringomyelia development are being discussed.
A case of syringomyelia with coexisting hydrocephalus is reported and a pathogenic relationship between both conditions is discussed. Gardner proposed that anomalies at the exit of the fourth ventricle produce a communicating syringomyelia. Hakim and Adams maintain that normal pressure hydrocephalus can aggravate this condition by a hydraulic pressure effect which can be stopped by the insertion of a ventriculoatrial shunt with improvement in the clinical picture. This has been our experience in the case reported.
Calssical cervical syringomyelia was found in 3 members of one family. All 3 underwent air myelogram, and a Chiari malformation type I and postural collapse of the spinal cord was found in each case. An affected 7-year-old boy was discovered after a clinical and radiological survey of 8 first-degree relatives on the basis of mild scoliosis, pyramidal tract signs in the lower limbs and enlarged sagittal diameter of the cervical canal. One other member had basilar impression of the skull but no neurological abnormalities. No positive correlation was found between either the size of the cystic cord enlargement or descent of the ectopic tonsils with the duration or severity of the neurological findings. Suboccipital decompressive craniotomy and upper cervical laminectomy in one case was followed by improvement in strength and sensation 1 year later. Progression in familial syringomyelia appears to occur through a mechanism identical to that in the sporadic form and surgery is therefore also indicated. In affected families, routine survey of close relatives for abnormal neurological signs, and radiological evidence of scoliotic deformity of the spine, enlarged cervical canal and bone abnormalities at the craniovertebral junction may prove valuable for early detection. A dominantly inherited, genetically determined malformation seems to be the probable mechanism of inheritance in this family.
Lateral X-rays of the cervical spine taken under standard conditions in 69 cases of syringomyelia have been measured to assess the relative sizes of the canals and bodies. One hundred and five cases without cervical spine abnormality provided controls. The expected expansion has been observed in males from C5 to C7 and in females from C3 to C7. The oddity that the expansive process seemed to come higher in females than in males has been noted by other workers. In both sexes it has been found that diminution of vertebral body size is a more consistent finding than enlargement of the canals and correlation coefficients have confirmed that enlargement of the canal appears to take place at least in part at the expense of the body. Possible factors in the enlargement are discussed. Oblique measurements taken in 57 syrinx cases and 89 controls showed the expected change caused by the view of the lower cervical vertebrae being closer to AP and pictures of the upper vertebrae being progressively closer to lateral views. There was a tendency for the bigger oblique diameters to occur in these cases with the biggest sagittal diameters and an insignificant tendency for the biggest canals to have a diminished difference between the two oblique measurements. There was no evidence that oblique measurements could be used to detect slight degrees of enlargement in cases of syringomyelia.
The ACTA-scanner, a device for computerized axial tomography, permits cross-sectional radiographic study of the entire human body, including the spine. In the ACTA-scan, the spinal cord appears as a roundish formation surrounded by the less dense subarachnoidal cerebrospinal fluid. The spines of 18 patients with verified (nine cases) or suspected (nine cases) syringomyelia were studied by ACTA-scanning. In seven of the verified and in four of the nonverified cases, some evidence of cord cavitation was shown. The cystic part of a cervical-cord ependymoma was also demonstrated. ACTA-scanning is an easily performed, noninvasive, innocuous procedure. This technic, which complements other radiographic methods of evaluating the spinal cord, is particularly suitable for screening and follow-up study of patients with syringomyelia. The easily accomplished recognition of a possible associated hydrocephalus is an added advantage of ACTA-scanning.
The present report describes a sibship with 2 individuals affected by myotonic dystrophy and a third with syringomyelia. The mother was affected by myotonic dystrophy. A balanced 2/13 translocation was detected in the individual with syringomyelia, in one affected by myotonic dystrophy and in their clinically normal father. The association between the phenotypic anomalies and the chromosome alteration is coincidental.