A Clinical Study of 17 Patients with Syringomyelia

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 5(2); 1987 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 1987;5(2): 132-141.

척수공동증 17예에 대한 임상적 고찰

하충건, 노재규, 이상복, 명호진, 한대희, 장기현

서울대학교 신경과, 신경외과, 방사선과.

A Clinical Study of 17 Patients with Syringomyelia

Choong-Kun Ha, M.D., Jae-Kyu Roh, M.D., Sang-Bok Lee, M.D., Ho-Jin Myung, M.D., Dae-Hee Han, M.D.*, Kee-Hyun Chang, M.D.**

Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery* & Radiology**, College of Medicine, Seoul National University

Abstract

Syringomyelia is a relatively uncommon, chronic, slowly progressive, degenerative process characterized by cavitation and gliosis within the substance of the spinal cord and/or the medulla. There have been only a few case reports in Korea. The authors reviewed 17 patients with syringomyelia diagnosed by delayed metrizamide spinal CT and/or MR imaging at Seoul National University Hospital from January, 1983 to June, 1987. Eleven were male and the age of onset was less than 40 in 16 (mean 23.4). The mean duration of symptoms was 87.1 months (range 3-276). Clinical features were similar to classical cases except sphincter involovement and abnormal sweating were more common in this report. The syrinx cavity which showed dye collection within spinal cord in delayed metrizamide spinal CT and low signal intensity in T1 weighted MR imaging was located mainly at cervicothoracic junction. The causes were the hindbran abnormality in 5, intramedullary cord tumor in 5, trauma in 3, adhesive arachnoiditis in 1 and unknown in 3. The cases with sensory dissociation had shorter duration of symptoms than those without sensory dissociation and showed normal results in SEPs study. Eleven patients were treated surgically and nine of them improved. MRI and SEPs are thought to be good aids for the understanding of the mechanism and course of syringomyelia."