TY - JOUR
T1 - Arnold-Chiari malformation with syringomyelia in an elderly woman
AU - Geroldi, Cristina
AU - Frisoni, Giovanni B.
AU - Bianchetti, Angelo
AU - Trabucchi, Marco
AU - Bricolo, Albino
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Presentation: a 76-year-old woman, complaining of leg pain and unsteady gait for 3 years, presented with a spastic paraparetic gait, severe spasticity and touch, thermal and pain sensory loss limited to arms, lower thorax and upper abdomen. Brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging showed a large loculated syrinx. Cerebellar tonsillar herniation into the foramen magnum was also seen (Arnold-Chiari malformation, type I). Outcome: the patient had successful cervico-spinal surgical decompression which resulted in marked reduction in hypertonia and weakness, normal gait and normal joint movement at 6 months. Conclusion: this unusual, late clinical presentation of a congenital disease underlines the importance of a comprehensive diagnostic work-up in the elderly patients with complex neurological signs.
AB - Presentation: a 76-year-old woman, complaining of leg pain and unsteady gait for 3 years, presented with a spastic paraparetic gait, severe spasticity and touch, thermal and pain sensory loss limited to arms, lower thorax and upper abdomen. Brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging showed a large loculated syrinx. Cerebellar tonsillar herniation into the foramen magnum was also seen (Arnold-Chiari malformation, type I). Outcome: the patient had successful cervico-spinal surgical decompression which resulted in marked reduction in hypertonia and weakness, normal gait and normal joint movement at 6 months. Conclusion: this unusual, late clinical presentation of a congenital disease underlines the importance of a comprehensive diagnostic work-up in the elderly patients with complex neurological signs.
KW - Arnold-Chiari malformation
KW - Elderly people
KW - Syringomyelia
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U2 - 10.1093/ageing/28.4.399
DO - 10.1093/ageing/28.4.399
M3 - Article
C2 - 10459795
AN - SCOPUS:0032808375
VL - 28
SP - 399
EP - 400
JO - Age and Ageing
JF - Age and Ageing
SN - 0002-0729
IS - 4
ER -