Posttraumatic syringomyelia--a serious complication in tetra- and paraplegic patients.
Post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS) is relatively rare, but its complications can be serious. In the beginning of the operative treatment (1900-1930), scarring could be reduced to a certain degree. In modern treatment (1980 1990) a shunt implantation showed also little effect in long-term follow-up studies. Influenced by the work of B. Williams, 58 PTS patients underwent surgery to create a pseudomeningomyelocele, an artificial CSF reservoir, performed to normalize the CSF flow. In a 10-year-postoperative follow-up study (minimum observation two years), good results were obtained in more than 70%.
Department of Neurosurgery, BG-Unfallklinik Murnau, Murnau, Germany. jaksche@bgu-murnau.de
H
H
Jaksche
M
M
Schaan
J
J
Schulz
B
B
Bosczcyk
D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome