There are many conditions or disorders that are related to abnormalities in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and the appearance of cysts or malformations in the spinal cord. Furthermore, in many cases these are asymptomatic and imperceptible, which means that they continue their development without the person realizing it.
One of these disorders that affects the spinal cord is syringomyelia a disorder that, although in its beginnings it does not manifest any clinical symptoms, can cause major motor and sensory complications.
The disease known as syringomyelia is an organic condition that causes the appearance of a cyst located inside the spinal cord This protuberance that is filled with a watery fluid is known as the syrinx or syrinx.
This disease develops gradually, so the syrinx gradually increases in size, expanding within the spinal cord and causing great damage to its center. Because the spinal cord is connected to the nerves that control the extremities, syringomyelia tends to cause pain, weakness and stiffness in the extremities, back and shoulders
In addition, people who suffer from it also usually suffer other symptoms such as severe headaches or sensitive symptoms such as alterations in thermal perception. However, the symptoms can be very varied and affect patients in very varied ways, even not generating any type of symptoms.
The germ or reason why this type of cysts appear is related to several factors. The most common of these is the appearance of an anomaly known as Chiari malformation, a malformation that causes brain tissue to protrude into the spinal canal Likewise, other causes of syringomyelia may be the appearance of tumor masses in the spinal cord, or an injury or inflammation of the spinal cord.
Regarding the incidence of syringomyelia, it has traditionally been quite difficult to calculate because it shares a multitude of symptoms with other diseases, making its diagnosis difficult. However, thanks to the advancement of diagnostic tests using neuroimaging, its detection has improved.
What symptoms does it present?
As mentioned in the previous point, syringomyelia is a gradually developing disease in which symptoms tend to appear once adulthood begins. In cases where it is due to a Chiari malformation, these They begin to manifest between 25 and 40 years of age
On other occasions, symptoms may appear suddenly or suddenly when the patient experiences strong coughing attacks or after intense physical exertion. However, it does not mean that these are the causes of the disease.
The clinical picture of syringomyelia It mainly affects the neck, shoulders, arms and hands but over time it ends up spreading, also affecting the lower extremities.
Between the main symptoms of syringomyelia are included:
Although in many cases it may not cause any type of symptoms, due to its gradual progression, syringomyelia It can become a disease with very serious health complications of the person. These complications originate from excessive growth of the syrinx.
This growth tends to injure certain groups of nerves in the spinal cord, generating the following symptoms:
What are the causes?
Although syringomyelia can be caused by traumatic, infectious or tumor agents, the truth is that in the majority of cases It is practically impossible to determine the specific origin of this disease
When this disorder is caused by some other disease or condition, the injuries they cause can hinder the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. As a consequence, it moves towards the spinal cord, forming the aforementioned syrinx.
Regarding the diseases that can cause this type of cysts, they include:
How can it be diagnosed?
Because syringomyelia does not initially manifest any symptoms, it is very likely that it will be detected accidentally when the person undergoes an evaluation for some other disease.
However, because the symptoms coincide with those of many other conditions of a similar nature, the doctor performs a thorough evaluation to rule out other diseases.
A good diagnosis of syringomyelia implies that the professional takes a complete and detailed medical history, accompanied by a physical examination To do this, magnetic resonance images of the dorsal spinal cord and spinal cord may be used, as well as a computerized axial tomography scan, which provides a detailed image of the affected area.
Is there a treatment?
Intervention guidelines for the treatment of syringomyelia are subject to both the severity of the symptoms and the condition or disease that causes it.
In those cases in which it is not related to any other disease and, in addition, the patient does not manifest serious signs or symptoms, it will only be necessary to perform tests. periodic check-ups through MRIs and neurological evaluations
However, when syringomyelia causes great discomfort or sometimes interferes with the patient’s daily life, surgical intervention is recommended. Through a small surgical intervention the pressure exerted by the cyst on the spinal cord is decreased, which mitigates the severity of the symptoms.
The type of intervention may depend on the main cause of the cyst formation, so it may range from drainage of the cyst, removal of the tumor mass that forms the obstruction, or correction and treatment of the anomaly that forms the syringomyelia.
