Syringomyelia: symptoms, causes and treatment

A pathology that affects both mobility and pain sensitivity.

Many conditions or disorders are related to abnormalities in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and the appearance of cysts or malformations in the spinal cord. In addition, these are often asymptomatic and imperceptible, which means that they continue to develop without the person being aware of it.

One of these disorders that affects the spinal cord is syringomyelia, a disorder that, although in its early stages, is not always noticeable.a disorder that, although in its beginnings it does not manifest any clinical picture, it can get to provoke great motor and sensitive complications.

What is syringomyelia?

The disease known as syringomyelia is an organic affection that causes the appearance of a cyst located inside the spinal cord.. This protrusion, which 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 into the spinal cord and causing extensive damage to the center of the spinal cord. Because the cord is connected to the nerves that control the limbs, syringomyelia tends to cause pain, weakness and stiffness in the limbs, back and shoulders..

In addition, sufferers also often experience other symptoms such as severe headaches or sensory symptoms such as alterations in thermal perception. However, the symptoms can be very varied and affect patients in a wide variety of ways, and may even cause no symptoms at all.

The germ or reason for the appearance of this type of cysts 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.. Other causes of syringomyelia may be the development of tumor masses in the spinal cord, or injury or inflammation of the spinal cord.

As for the incidence of syringomyelia, traditionally, this has been quite difficult to estimate because it shares a multitude of symptoms with other diseases, making it difficult to diagnose. However, thanks to advances in neuroimaging diagnostic tests, its detection has improved.

What are the symptoms?

As mentioned in the previous point, syringomyelia is a disease of gradual development in which symptoms tend to appear once adulthood begins. In cases where it is due to a Chiari malformation, they begin to manifest between 25 and 40 years of age. begin to manifest themselves between the ages of 25 and 40..

In other cases, symptoms may appear abruptly or suddenly when the patient experiences severe coughing fits or after intense physical exertion. However, this does not mean that these are the causes of the disease.

The clinical picture characteristic of syringomyelia mainly affects the neck, shoulders, arms and hands, but eventually extends to the neck, shoulders, arms and hands.The clinical picture of syringomyelia mainly affects the neck, shoulders, arms and hands, but eventually spreads to the lower extremities as well.

Visit the main symptoms of syringomyelia include include:

• Muscle atrophy characterized by weakness and deterioration of the muscles.
• Decreased and loss of reflexes..
• Altered sensitivity to pain and temperature.
• Stiffness in neck and extremities.
• Sensation of pain due to stiffness.
• Muscle spasms in lower extremities.
• Alteration in the Gastrointestinal functioning.
• Alterations of the spine such as scoliosis.

Although in many cases it may not cause any symptoms, due to its gradual progression, syringomyelia can become a disease with very serious health complications. can become a disease with very serious complications for the health of the person. health of the person. These complications have their origin in an excessive growth of the syrinx.

This growth tends to injure certain groups of nerves of the spinal cord generating the following symptoms:

• Severe motor problems Severe motor problems in the legs that interfere with walking.
• Chronic, high intensity pain
• Scoliosis or pathological curvature of the spine.

What are the causes?

Although syringomyelia can be caused by traumatic, infectious or tumorous agents, it is certain that in most 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 lesions they cause may obstruct the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. As a consequence, this fluid moves towards the spinal cord forming the aforementioned syrinx.

As for the diseases that may cause this type of cysts, they include:

• Masses or tumor formations in the spinal cord.
• Meningitis or inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord.
• Chiari malformation.
• Injuries to the spinal cord.
• Alterations of the spine present at birth.

How can it be diagnosed?

Because syringomyelia does not manifest any symptoms in its early stages, it is very likely to be detected accidentally when the person undergoes an evaluation for some other disease.

However, because the symptoms overlap with those of many other conditions of a similar nature, the clinician performs a thorough evaluation to rule out other diseases.

A good diagnosis of syringomyelia implies that the practitioner a complete and detailed medical history, accompanied by a physical examination.. This may be done by magnetic resonance imaging of the dorsal spinal cord and spinal cord, 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 causing 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 periodic controls by means of resonances and neurological evaluations will be necessary..

However, when syringomyelia causes great discomfort or occasionally interferes with the patient's daily life, surgical intervention is recommended. By means of a small surgical interventionThe pressure exerted by the cyst on the spinal cord is reduced, which mitigates the severity of symptoms.

The type of intervention may depend on the main cause of the formation of the cyst, so it can range from the drainage of the cyst, the removal of the tumor mass that forms the obstruction or the correction and treatment of the anomaly that forms the syringomyelia.