Syringomyelia

      What is Syringomyelia? for this session, it would be explained what Syringomyelia is. Syringomyelia is a chronic neurological syndrome that is pathologically found a syrinx in the spinal canal. Syringomyelia is a single lesion, tangible hole in the center of the central gray matter. Usually in the cervical or thoracic region. Syrinx can be connected with the central canal (canalis centralis) which called hidromyelia , or not related to the central canal, called syiringomyelia or be located in the central of the central canal called syringohidromelia. To facilitate the understanding of all the circumstances called syringomyelia .

        The classic illustration is the central cavity syndrome associated with sensory loss and weakness, to the absence of reflexes in the upper limbs. Consists of sensory deficits and loss of pain sensation with a slight touch of heat and vibration on the neck, shoulders, and upper arms around the armpits or on the hands. Most, cases initially occurs asymmetrically with unilateral sensory loss in the hands and there is a burning sensation (diasthesia). Muscles become unable to work on the shoulder area of ​​the lower neck, arms and hands with asymmetric reflexes or no reflex, reflex extension of the anterior end of the cavity. The expansion of the lesion, spasticity and weakness of the legs, bladder and bowel dysfunction, in some cases, Horner syndrome can appear. Thoraco Kifoscoliosis is an additional findings are often seen . Some patients sometimes appear numbness and sensory loss from damage to the descending tract of the trigeminal nerve. With Chiari malformation, cough, headache, and neck pain, arm and face, usually also common. The extension of the syrinx into the medulla, syringobulbia, can show the vocal cavity or palatal paralysis, dysarthria, vertical or horizontal nystagmus, episodic vertigo appear .

        Syringomyelia (from the Greek " syrinx " = " pipe " or " tube") which can be defined as a chronic progressive degenerative disease in the spinal cord, which is characterized clinically in the form of branchial segmental amyotrophy and sensory loss of the type of pathological dissociation and form cavitation on the central spinal cord , usually in the cervical region but may radiate upward reaches the medulla oblongata, pons (syringobulbi) or down up to Thorac even sometimes - sometimes to the lumbar though very rarely.

      Syringomyelia is often associated with abnormalities columna vertebral (thoracic scoliosis, vertebral fusion, or Klippel - Feil anomaly), the base of the brain (platy base and basilar invagination), cerebellum and brain stem (type I malformation Chiary). Approximately 90 % of cases syringomyelia have Chiary malformation type I, 50 % of type I Chiari malformation associated with syringomyelia. In a small number of cases intrameduler tumors  (astrocytoma, hemangioblastoma, ependymoma) or traumatic necrosis of the spinal cord has been found that within or close to the formations there are several forms of the syrinx .