The post-syrinx syndrome: stable central myelopathy and collapsed or absent syrinx.
Among 168 cases with neurologic findings of cervicothoracic syringomyelia and MRI findings of Chiari 1 malformation and/or underdevelopment of the posterior cranial fossa, 15 patients (9.1 %) had collapsed, flat syrinxes and 14 patients (8.3 %) did not have syrinxes. Both groups of patients had clinical findings of central myelopathy that had been stable for at least 3 years. Magnetic resonance imaging detected atrophy of the cervical spinal cord in both groups and spontaneous communications between the syrinx and the subarachnoid space in 3 patients of the group with collapsed syrinxes. Analysis of these results and review of the literature suggest that patients with clinical signs of syringomyelia and Chiari 1 malformation or underdeveloped posterior fossa, but with small or absent syringomyelitic cavities, have the "postsyrinx" state as a result of spontaneous collapse of distended syrinxes.
Bogdanov
E I
EI
Dept. of Neurology and Rehabilitation, Kazan State Medical University, Butlerov str. 49, Kazan, Russia 420012. enver_bogdanov@mail.ru
Heiss
John D
JD
Mendelevich
E G
EG
D000328:Adult; D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000473:pathology