Symptomatic syringomyelia secondary to clinically obscure infratentorial tumour

The formation of a cervical spinal cord syrinx as a result of an infratentorial mass, even though uncommon, has been reported in international literature. In such cases, syringomyelia is usually asymptomatic, while the tumour-related symptoms and signs predominate. We report a patient with a posteri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of neurosurgery 2006-02, Vol.20 (1), p.48-50
Main Authors: Bouras, T. I., Kouyialis, A. T., Boviatsis, E. J., Sakas, D. E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Brain
Case studies
Female
Humans
Infratentorial Neoplasms - diagnosis
Infratentorial Neoplasms - surgery
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Medical sciences
Meningioma - diagnosis
Meningioma - surgery
Middle Aged
Neurosurgery
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Spinal cord
Spinal Cord Neoplasms - diagnosis
Spinal Cord Neoplasms - secondary
Spinal Cord Neoplasms - surgery
Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases
Syringomyelia - diagnosis
Syringomyelia - surgery
Treatment Outcome
Tumors
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Summary:The formation of a cervical spinal cord syrinx as a result of an infratentorial mass, even though uncommon, has been reported in international literature. In such cases, syringomyelia is usually asymptomatic, while the tumour-related symptoms and signs predominate. We report a patient with a posterior fossa tumour and secondary syringomyelia. In this patient, syringomyelia symptoms and signs were present, and a cervical spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed a large cervical syrinx. A more careful clinical examination though, revealed a sub-clinical posterior fossa syndrome and brain MRI revealed a large infratentorial meningioma. A posterior fossa craniotomy was performed, followed by complete tumour resection and almost complete remission of the syrinx and its related symptoms. The authors discuss the role of posterior fossa tumour induced tonsillar herniation in the development of secondary syringomyelia, the mechanisms leading to syrinx formation and the conditions that must be fulfilled for that to happen.
ISSN:0268-8697
1360-046X
DOI:10.1080/02688690600601077