title: Chiari Malformation in otology practice.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to evaluate prevalence, characteristic symptoms, and management of Chiari Malformation 1 (CM1). A retrospective chat review was made in Otology Tertiary Department including 439 otologic patients referred to the Helsinki University Hospital Radiology Department for head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during 2005 and also among 42 patients seen at the Department of Neurosurgery in years 2001-2005 with a diagnosis of CM1. We made a structured analysis of medical records focusing on patient history, neurologic symptoms, and radiologic findings. For surgical patients, information was collected on symptoms, treatment, and operative outcome. The prevalence of CM1 in the 439 otologic patients was 0.9%. Most CM1 patients sent to the Neurosurgery Department were operated on. Two months postoperatively, 26 patients (68%) had benefited from the surgery, but 12 patients (32%) experienced no change to symptoms. The possibility of CM1 should be borne in mind in patients presenting with atypical benign positional vertigo or recurrent facial paresis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. hilla.levo@hus.fi
authors.forename: Hilla
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Levo
authors.forename: Erna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tapani
authors.forename: Atte
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karppinen
authors.forename: Erna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kentala
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000379:methods*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012008:Recurrence; D014717:Vertigo / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult