Syringomyelia (sih-ring-go-my-E-lee-uh) is the development of a fluid-filled cyst (syrinx) within your spinal cord. Over time, the cyst may enlarge, damaging your spinal cord and causing pain, weakness and stiffness, among other symptoms.
Syringomyelia has several possible causes, though the majority of syringomyelia cases are associated with Chiari malformation, a condition in which brain tissue protrudes into your spinal canal. Other causes of syringomyelia include spinal cord tumors, spinal cord injuries and damage caused by inflammation around your spinal cord.
Syringomyelia (sear-IN-go-my-EEL-ya) is a disorder in which a cyst forms within the spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, expands and elongates over time, destroying a portion of the spinal cord from its center and expanding outward. As a syrinx widens it compresses and injures nerve fibers that carry information from the brain to the extremities. Damage to the spinal cord often leads to progressive weakness in the arms and legs, stiffness in the back, shoulders, arms, or legs, and chronic, severe pain. Other symptoms may include headaches, a loss of the ability to feel extremes of hot or cold (especially in the hands), and loss of bladder and other functions. Each individual experiences a different combination of symptoms depending on where in the spinal cord the syrinx forms and how far it extends. Signs of the disorder tend to develop slowly, although sudden onset may occur with coughing or straining.
Many disorders share the early symptoms of syringomyelia, which also can occur in association with other conditions. Estimates of the number of Americans with syringomyelia vary widely, but a conservative estimate is that about 40,000 people in the United States are affected, with symptoms usually beginning in young adulthood. Some cases of syringomyelia occur in more than one family member, although this is rare.
Those are the definitional facts (I make up words sometimes when I feel it fits so definitional is my new word for the day). I am very worried that my 4 year old has not just one syrinx but several. I have posted her syrinx image before but here it is again:
See those "white marbles" ? The ones in the neck are huge of course, but there are smaller ones going on down her spinal cord. Well, that's syringomyelia. Now for Olivia, I know the pressure in her spinal cord and head have to be an issue because she talks about "the worm in her head knocking" and "her neck beeping". So, I plan to post more about how you go about treating this stuff...but for now it has to wait.
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