Symptomatic syringomyelia occurring as a late complication of posterior fossa medulloblastoma removal in infancy in a boy also suffering from scaphocephaly.
BACKGROUND
The association of a medulloblastoma and a syringomyelia has been already described in rare instances albeit without symptoms related to the syrinx.


METHODS
The case of a 23-year-old man operated in infancy for a medulloblastoma and then treated solely with adjuvant chemotherapy is reported. He was also operated in infancy for a scaphocephaly. With a very long time delay, he has developed a Chiari I and a symptomatic cervico-dorsal syringomyelia. The symptoms attributed to the syrinx consisted of a unilateral prurigo over the left arm which was so severe to lead to self-mutilation.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging follow-up after cervico-dorsal decompression shows a significant improvement of the symptoms together with a reduction of the size of the syrinx. This case is discussed in the light of the presumed pathophysiology of the syrinx and its exceptional clinical presentation.
El Hassani
Yassine
Y
Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire, 24 rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland.
Burkhardt
Karim
K
Delavellle
Jacqueline
J
Vargas
Maria-Isabel
MI
Boex
Colette
C
Rilliet
Benedict
B
D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult