hydromyelia; syringohydromyelia

Etiology

• almost always associated in infants & children with hydrocephalus or birth defects such as Chiari Malformation II or Dandy-Walker syndrome

Epidemiology

• infants & children

Pathology

• abnormal widening of the central canal of the spinal cord (contains CSF)
• the widened cavity is connected to the fourth ventricle in the brain

Clinical manifestations

• weakness of the hands & arms,
• stiffness in the legs
• sensory loss in the neck & arms
• severe pain in the neck & arms may occur

Radiology

• magnetic resonance imaging

Management

• neurosurgery for moderate to severe neurologic deficits
• prognosis: spontaneous remissions have been reported

More general terms

• central nervous system (CNS) malformation

Additional terms

• syringomyelia