Syringomyelia is a rare disorder that causes a cyst to form in your spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, gets bigger and longer over time, destroying part of the spinal cord. Damage to the spinal cord from the syrinx can cause symptoms such as
- Pain and weakness in the back, shoulders, arms or legs
- Headaches
- Inability to feel hot or cold
Symptoms vary according to the size and location of the syrinx. They often begin in adulthood.
Syringomyelia usually results from a skull abnormality called a Chiari I malformation. A tumor, meningitis or physical trauma can also cause it. Surgery is the main treatment for the disorder. Some people also need to have the syrinx drained.
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Syringomyelia
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/syringomyelia/detail_syringomyelia.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/la_siringomielia.htm - Syringomyelia (SM)(C&S Patient Education Foundation) - Links to PDF - http://www.conquerchiari.org/awareness/Syringomyelia%20Patient%20Education%20Sheet.pdf
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Syringomyelia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/syringomyelia/syringomyelia.htm
- What Is Syringomyelia?(American Syringomyelia Alliance Project) - http://www.asap.org/syringomyelia.html
- Exercise Concepts for Individuals with Syringomyelia(American Syringomyelia Alliance Project) - http://www.asap.org/articles/Cavanaugh.html
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Chiari Malformation(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chiari/chiari.htm
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Chiari Malformation(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chiari/detail_chiari.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/malformaciones_de_chiari.htm
- Syrinx(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/print/sec06/ch093/ch093e.html
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Syringomyelia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Syringomyelia%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Decompression for Chiari type I-malformation (with or without syringomyelia) by... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19368082&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Long-term follow-up of Chiari-related syringomyelia in adults: analysis of 157... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19190458&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Long-term result of the Echols procedure for treating syringomyelia. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19119937&tool=MedlinePlus
- Syringomyelia -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=syringomyelia[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Syringomyelia - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=Syringomyelia
- Medical Glossary(American Syringomyelia Alliance Project) - http://www.asap.org/articles/glossary.html
- Find a Board-Certified Neurosurgeon(American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons) - http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/findaneuro/
- American Syringomyelia Alliance Project - http://www.asap.org/
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
- Spinal Cord Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spinalcorddiseases.html
- Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Syringomyelia is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/