Common Causes Of Syringomyelia

Syringomyelia is a disease characterized when a cyst filled with fluid or a syrinx, develops inside of the spinal cord. Nerve fibers can get injured as the syrinx enlarges and becomes longer over time. Due to this, there is interference with the normal process of information relay to the brain and from the brain to the other parts of the body. The fluid with a watery consistency that usually encompasses and protects the spinal cord and the brain is called cerebrospinal fluid. There is a small central channel that runs through the entire spinal cord, and with syringomyelia, the cerebrospinal fluid congregates inside of the spinal cord tissues creating a syrinx. Get to know the leading causes of syringomyelia now.

Chiari Type 1 Malformation

One major cause of syringomyelia is called Chiari type 1 malformation. This abnormality is a congenital structural abnormality sometimes attributed to a smaller than normal posterior fossa, or the housing cavity of the cerebellum in the brain. In Chiari type 1 malformation, the cerebellum in the brain is lower laying then normal in the area where the spinal cord and brain converge. Most of the time the cerebellar tonsils, which are components of the cerebellum, distend into the spinal canal from the base of the skull. Due to this obtrusion, pressure begins to build in the brain. Often a syrinx will develop as a result of the fluid pressure build up over time in the neck or cervical portion of the spinal canal. It is common for a diagnosis of Chiari type 1 malformation and syringomyelia to go hand in hand because of the way the induced pressure inside of the brain results in pulse waves of the cerebrospinal fluid downward through the spinal column.

Uncover more causes of syringomyelia now.