| WHAT IS SYRINGOMYELIA?? |
| WHAT IS CHIARI MALFORMATION?? |
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| Syringomyelia (SM) is a disorder in which a cyst forms within the spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, expands and elongates over time, destroying the center of the cord. Since the spinal cord connects the brain to the nerves in the extremities, this damage may result in pain, weakness, and stiffness in the back, shoulders, arms or legs. Other symptoms may include headaches and loss of the ability to feel extremes of hot or cold, especially in the hands and disruption in body temperature. SM may also adversely affect sweating, sexual function and bladder and bowel control. |
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| Chiari Malformation is a rare congenital anomaly in which two parts of the brain, the brainstem and the cerebellum, are longer than normal and protrude down into the spinal canal. In most cases, symptoms begin during infancy, however onset of symptoms may be delayed until adolescence or adulthood. Symptoms usually include vomiting, muscle weakness in the head and face, differculty swallowing, and varying degrees of mental impairment. Paralysis of the arms and legs may also occur. Adults and adolescents with Chiari Malformation who previously were asymptomatic may show signs of progressive brain impairment as they grow older, such as involuntary, rapid, downward eye movements. Other symptoms include dizziness, headache, double vision, deafness, an impaired ability to coordinate movement and episodes of acute pain in and around the eyes. |
| Hi, this page was created to try and show folks more about Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia If you'd like to see more information about Chiari or Syringomyelia, then please visit www.asap4sm.com you can find more information there as well as more detailed descriptions and other web links. |
| ***I would like to take this oppportunity to thank the folks at www.asap4sm.com and American Syringomyelia Alliance Project, INC. Most of the information on this page was gathered from their website and their newsletters.*** |
| Syringomyelia and Chiari malformation are debilitating neurological diseases that cause severe pain, often untreatable, and can lead to permanent nerve damage and paralysis. Currently there is no cure. |
| Syringomyelia (SM) is a neurological condition where a fluid-filled cyst, or syrinx, forms in the spinal cord. the syrinx expands the spinal cord, sometimes to twice its normal size, and stretches the nerve tissue paper-thin. Chiari Malformation (CM) is the leading cause of SM and occurs when a portion of the brain, the cerebellar tonsils, descend out of the skulll and crowd the top of the spinal cord. SM and CM affect over 400,000 people in the U.S. alone, including children and adults of all races and ethnicities. As one would expect, people who suffer from these diseases are afflicted with numerous symptoms, the most prominent being chronic, unremitting, often untreatable pain. There is no cure for these conditions, although many patients will undergo one or more traumatic brain surgeries in an attempt to stop the conditions from progressing Thanks again, www.asap.org |
| RICKDEW'S CHIARI and SYRINGOMYELIA PAGE |
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