Adult scoliosis in syringomyelia associated with Chiari I malformation.
METHODS
In adult syringomyelia associated with Chiari I malformation, the spinal deformity, the configuration of cerebellar tonsillar descent, the configuration of syrinx, and the clinical evaluation before and after surgery were investigated.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristics of the scoliosis in syringomyelia associated with Chiari I malformation.


BACKGROUND
In previous studies, the clinical characteristics of pediatric scoliosis associated with syringomyelia have been reported.


METHODS
In this study, 42 patients with syringomyelia were treated. All the patients were 20 years of age or older. They were divided into three groups: Group 1 comprising those without scoliosis, Group 2 composed of those with scoliosis of 10 degrees or more but less than 20 degrees, and Group 3 consisting of those with scoliosis of 20 degrees or more. Investigations conducted with the three groups included determining the curve patterns of scoliosis, the degree of thoracic kyphosis, the configuration of cerebellar tonsillar descent, the configuration of syrinx, the morbidity period, and the clinical evaluation before and after surgery.


RESULTS
There were 12 patients in Group 1, 21 patients in Group 2, and 9 patients in Group 3. The concomitant rate of adult syringomyelia with scoliosis was 71.4%. As scoliosis advanced, the kyphotic angle also increased. The concordance in laterality between the cerebellar tonsil and curve convex was 70%. Findings showed that the more advanced the scoliosis was, the more aggravated the neurologic symptoms were, and the poorer the surgical outcomes tended to be.


CONCLUSIONS
In adult syringomyelia with scoliosis, the morbidity period is long, the syrinx is long, the neurologic symptoms are aggravated, and the surgical outcomes tend to be poor.
Ono
Atsushi
A
Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Japan. atsu-ono@triton.ocn.ne.jp
Ueyama
Kazumasa
K
Okada
Akihiro
A
Echigoya
Naoki
N
Yokoyama
Toru
T
Harata
Seiko
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013131:Spine / Q000601:surgery; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome