Spinal cord swelling preceding syrinx development - Case report

The pathophysiology of syrinx development is controversial. The authors rep ort on a patient with progressive cervical myelopathy and a Chiari I malfor mation in whom spinal cord swelling preceded, by a few months, the developm ent of a syrinx in the same location. The patient underwent a craniocervica l decompressive procedure and duraplasty, and complete resolution of cord s welling and syringomyelia was achieved. This report is consistent with the theory that patients with Chiari I malformation have increased transmural f low of cerebrospinal fluid, which causes spinal cord swelling that later co alesces into a syrinx. The pathophysiology of syrinx development from spina l cord edema and the success of surgical decompressive treatments that do n ot invade the central nervous system support the prompt treatment of patien ts with spinal cord edema who are at risk, for the development of a syrinx.