SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRONIC TONSILLAR HERNIATION IN SUDDEN-DEATH

The Chiari I malformation is a congenital abnormality of the cerebellu m strongly associated with syringomyelia and also associated with bony abnormalities of the base of the skull and the cervical spine. This r eview examines the case of a 25 year old man who collapsed and died fo llowing a blow to the face and was found at post mortem to have a Chia ri I malformation and syringomyelia but no gross or microscopic eviden ce of fresh brain or spinal cord injury. The occurrence of sudden and unexpected deaths in this condition is discussed especially in the con text of apparently minor coincident trauma.