title: Scoliosis-Associated Cervical Spine Pathologies.
abstract: METHODS
  A total of 126 scoliosis patients admitted to the hospital were screened for concomitant cervical pathologies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of cervical spine pathologies and the clinical relevance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of patients with neuromuscular, congenital, syndromic, and idiopathic scoliosis.
  With the development of MRI, upper neural axis abnormalities such as syringomyelia and Chiari malformation are increasingly being found in patients with scoliosis, but no report in the literature describes other pathologies in the cervical area seen concomitant with different scoliosis types.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 126 consecutive patients who were classified as having neuromuscular, congenital, syndromic, and idiopathic scoliosis were retrospectively evaluated. Data regarding cervical neural axis abnormalities obtained from the MRI studies were analyzed and classified into each type of scoliosis group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 126 patients with scoliosis were evaluated for hindbrain and cervical spine anomalies. Patients were divided into 4 groups regarding the type of scoliosis. The cervical spine of all patients was evaluated with MRI and other radiologic methods when needed. The most frequently seen pathology was syringomyelia. Other pathologies found included congenital vertebral anomalies, Chiari malformation, arachnoid cyst, atlanto-axial dissociation, split cord, posterior vertebral fusion, vertebral hypoplasia, neurenteric cyst, myelomalacia, dermoid cyst, and decrease in craniovertebral angle. Cervical pathologies were most frequently seen in neuromuscular scoliosis, followed by congenital and syndromic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical spinal pathologies vary according to the type of scoliosis. The number of cervical spinal pathologies diagnosed in idiopathic scoliosis patients was least compared with neuromuscular and syndromic groups. The most common pathology was syringomyelia, followed by congenital vertebral anomalies and cerebral tonsillar hernia. Preoperative MRI scan provides vital information regarding cervical spinal pathologies encountered in scoliosis patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Disease of the Spine Surgery Group, Metin Sabanci Baltalimani Disease of the Bone Education and Research Hospital, Rumeli Hisari cd No: 62, 34470 Baltalimani Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: mehmetbalioglu2003@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mehmet B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Balioğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Disease of the Spine Surgery Group, Metin Sabanci Baltalimani Disease of the Bone Education and Research Hospital, Rumeli Hisari cd No: 62, 34470 Baltalimani Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Akif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albayrak
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Disease of the Spine Surgery Group, Metin Sabanci Baltalimani Disease of the Bone Education and Research Hospital, Rumeli Hisari cd No: 62, 34470 Baltalimani Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yunus
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Atıcı
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Disease of the Spine Surgery Group, Metin Sabanci Baltalimani Disease of the Bone Education and Research Hospital, Rumeli Hisari cd No: 62, 34470 Baltalimani Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tacal
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Disease of the Spine Surgery Group, Metin Sabanci Baltalimani Disease of the Bone Education and Research Hospital, Rumeli Hisari cd No: 62, 34470 Baltalimani Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaygusuz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Kafkas University, School of Medicine, Kafkas Universitesi Kampusu Saglik Arastirma ve Uygulama Hastanesi, 36100 Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Can H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yıldırım
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Kafkas University, School of Medicine, Kafkas Universitesi Kampusu Saglik Arastirma ve Uygulama Hastanesi, 36100 Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Miktat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Kafkas University, School of Medicine, Kafkas Universitesi Kampusu Saglik Arastirma ve Uygulama Hastanesi, 36100 Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taşdemiroğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Kafkas University, School of Medicine, Kafkas Universitesi Kampusu Saglik Arastirma ve Uygulama Hastanesi, 36100 Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aytaç
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbaşak
keywords: Cervical spinal pathologies; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neural axis abnormalities; Scoliosis; Syringomyelia