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.

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Arachnoiditis

Arachnoiditis is a disorder in which there is an occurrence of a stage of acute inflammation that happens in the outermost and innermost membranes that encompass and protect the spinal cord, nerve roots, and brain. This disorder can be caused by viruses, bacteria, chronic degenerative disease of the spinal discs, or spinal stenosis. The problematic inflammation is a response by the cerebrospinal fluid to foreign invaders, and in arachnoiditis, the inflammation is excessive causing fibrosis and scarring in the spinal cord. In addition, the nerve roots also will begin to adhere to each other or the Dural sac, which is called clumping. The clumping can cause severe interference with the root and spinal cord functioning. As a result, fluid-filled cysts often form inside of the spinal tissue (syringomyelia) from the disturbances made in the normal cerebral spinal fluid flow and the velocity of which it flows at. Arachnoiditis is simply another condition that influences changes in the fluid pressure and flow inside of and outside of the spinal cord.

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Meningitis

Meningitis is a disease characterized by the swelling and irritation of the brain and spinal cords protective membrane coverings or the meninges. Usually this inflammation is due to a viral or bacterial cerebrospinal fluid infection, however, it can be caused by other less common things. The infection itself can cause significant damage to the brain and spinal cord, however, the body's unbalanced inflammatory defense response is known to cause the most damage to the spinal cord and brain. Both the bacteria or virus causing meningitis and the defense response from the body can cause abnormal clotting within the spinal fluids, and a build-up of cerebral spinal fluid pressure within the brain and spinal cord. Both factors can induce the development of one or more fluid-filled cysts within the spinal cord tissues. Inflammation of the meninges can also induce inflammation of the arachnoid, which is also a common cause for a patient to develop fluid-filled cysts (syringomyelia).

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Trauma

Trauma to the spinal cord can cause delayed syringomyelia. The inducing injury could be a complete spinal cord injury, or it could be an incomplete spinal cord injury, which is uncommon. Syringomyelia can also occur after paraplegic or tetraplegic injuries. The super arachnoid scarring from the injury to the spinal cord obstructs the proper flow of cerebrospinal fluid, causing the syrinx to develop inside the spinal cord. Most of the time the syrinx develops in areas extending upwards from where the spinal cord injury occurred. However, in less common cases, it can develop and extend downward from the location of the spinal cord injury. Usually, the onset of syringomyelia occurs within a time frame ranging from five years to as long thirty-four years following the spinal cord injury. However, the onset of symptoms can happen as soon as just three months following the severe spinal cord injury. The mean amount of time that passes between the occurrence of the injury to the syringomyelia diagnosis is 2.8 years.

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Hemorrhage

A hemorrhage of the spinal area can be caused by several different factors including a spinal cord tumor, continuous anticoagulant therapy, spinal trauma, vascular malformation, or idiopathic bleeding. It is also not uncommon to see a spinal bleed due to prior spinal surgery or procedures. When a spinal bleed occurs in the spinal cord, it causes instrasyringeal pressure inside of the spinal channel. Similar to other causes of fluid-filled cysts inside the spinal cord, the pressure causes disruptions in the fluid velocity and flow of the cerebrospinal fluid from the excess of blood present. Often hemorrhagic spinal cord cysts are not filled with a fluid similar to the cerebrospinal fluid, but are filled with bloody fluids due to the nature of the syrinx instead. A hemorrhagic-derived diagnosis of syringomyelia is one of the least commonly seen causes for the disorder, and hemorrhagic-induced syringomyelia can be rare in comparison to the number of cases derived from other causes.