What is syrink?

Syringomyelia cyst (syrinx) in the spinal cord Syringomyelia develops when cerebrospinal fluid, which usually flows around the outside of your brain and spinal cord, collects inside your spinal cord and forms a fluid-filled cyst (syrinx).

1. What does syrinx mean?
2. Does syrinx go away?
3. Is syrinx a tumor?
4. Can you live with a syrinx?
5. Is a syrinx serious?
6. What does syrinx pain feel like?
7. Can a syrinx cause paralysis?
8. Is syringomyelia a disability?
9. Can a syrinx burst?
10. Is syringomyelia a terminal?
11. Is there a cure for syringomyelia?
12. How many people get a syrinx?
13. Can a syrinx get worse?
14. Is syringomyelia an autoimmune disorder?
15. Which tract is affected in syringomyelia?

What does syrinx mean?

A syrinx is a fluid-filled cavity within the spinal cord (syringomyelia) or brain stem (syringobulbia). Predisposing factors include craniocervical junction abnormalities, previous spinal cord trauma, and spinal cord tumors.

Does syrinx go away?

Untreated, syrinxes tend to expand over time, though some remain stable or even disappear. Unfortunately, it is not always clear which course a syrinx will follow. Syringomyelia is also known as hydromyelia.

Is syrinx a tumor?

About 30% of tumors that originate in the spinal cord eventually produce a syrinx. Syrinxes that grow in the spinal cord press on it from within. They tend to first affect nerve fibers that carry information about pain and temperature from the body to the brain.

Can you live with a syrinx?

The syrinx can grow over time, requiring additional treatment. Even after treatment, some signs and symptoms of syringomyelia can remain, as a syrinx can cause permanent spinal cord and nerve damage.

Is a syrinx serious?

In some people, syringomyelia can progress and lead to serious complications. Others have no symptoms. Possible complications as a syrinx enlarges or if it damages nerves within your spinal cord include: An abnormal curve of your spine (scoliosis)

What does syrinx pain feel like?

Syringomyelia is usually slowly progressive, but rapid onset can occur. Common symptoms include pain in the neck and shoulders. Pain may also affect the arms and hands and may be described as a burning, tingling or piercing sensation.

Can a syrinx cause paralysis?

As it stretches it may damage the gray matter in the spinal cord and cause pain, loss of sensation, and loss of muscle bulk. Damage to the white matter causes stiffness and poor muscle control. Left untreated, a syrinx may eventually lead to paralysis.

Is syringomyelia a disability?

When a person with syringomyelia begins to suffer loss of motor function or impaired vital functions, she may be eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits.

Can a syrinx burst?

Spinal dermoid cysts can spontaneous rupture into the syrinx cavity alone. The syrinx is filled with ruptured contents (lipid) of the dermoid cyst. Staging operations should be considered according to the patient's symptoms. Syrinx aspiration surgery is an effective treatment for the lipid syrinx.

Is syringomyelia a terminal?

Terminal syringomyelia is common in cases of occult spinal dysraphism, but the natural history and management remain unclear. Progression, regression, or persistence of terminal syringeal cavity can occur whether untethering is performed or not.

Is there a cure for syringomyelia?

There is no cure at the present time. However, we are advocating for continued research for a cure. What are the symptoms of Syringomyelia? The symptoms of Syringomyelia can directly relate to the location of the syrinx inside the spinal cord.

How many people get a syrinx?

As the syrinx grows, it presses on the spinal cord and interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses. The condition affects approximately eight out of every 100,000 people, and men are more at risk than women (for reasons unknown).

Can a syrinx get worse?

Syringomyelia is a disorder in which a fluid-filled cyst (called a syrinx) forms within the spinal cord. Over time, the syrinx can get bigger and can damage the spinal cord and compress and injure the nerve fibers that carry information to the brain and from the brain to the rest of the body.

Is syringomyelia an autoimmune disorder?

GBS is an acute post-infectious autoimmune disease which is mediated by autoantibodies against the myelin of peripheral nerves. Syringomyelia is a chronic disease characterized by a cavity extending longitudinally inside the spinal cord.

Which tract is affected in syringomyelia?

The basic pathology in syringomyelia is a progressively expanding cavity in the central spinal canal. This expanding CSF filled "syrinx" compresses the spinothalamic tract neurons decussating in the anterior white commissure.