Confused after visit with doctor about syrinx

[jakejacob]

I am a 19 year old male who is in fairly good shape. So long story short I went to the ER with severe chest and back pain.  It turned out to just be costochondritis, but the ER doctor ordered seveal tests, including an MRI of my spinal cord.  The MRI showed that there were 5 syrinxes in my spinal cord from the top to the bottom.  They haven't shown any symptoms yet, so they were an incidental finding. My doctor was very vague about what I am supposed to do next, or if these syrinxes are going to get bigger and eventually cause damage. Is there anyone that can help me out and give me some information?

[selmaS]

  Hi...if you did not have a trauma to your back/spine then it is highly possible your syrinx's are congenital......and it is Syringomyelia regardless of how they formed.

A bulging disk can cause a syrinx to form....anything that disrupts CSF flow can and will cause one.

Since you have several syrinx's where they are located will determine the type of symptoms you experience. If they continue to grow it can get serious.....once nerve damage has occurred there is no way to fix it....so, if there is a way to slow progression that should be done. For example....I did not have a syrinx but due to the type of CSF obstruction I had it was just a matter of time....so the decompression surgery I had was to help prevent one from forming as well as help alleviate the symptoms I was dealing with at the time.

Keep asking questions that is how we all find out the best course of action.....

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I agree with the above poster.....you will want to rule out what caused your syrinx's...if they are congenital, or due to a trauma to the area or a blockage of CSF flow like Chiari Malformation.

Since Chiari is congenital....many do not realize they have symptoms from it because they have always felt that way and consider it to be "normal" until the symptoms intensify,,,,,plus Chiari symptoms cycle and change so it can be hard to DX too. and lastly Chiari rarely comes alone, it is often accompanied by other conditions like Syringomyelia and EDS, POTS....so knowing which came first or which is causing the symptoms can be difficult.

You will want a Dr that specializes in Chiari and Syringomyelia.....if you want names to research let me know what area you are ina dnI will post a list for you.


Hang in there you are not alone

[jakejacob]

Are you able to respond to my comment on the above user? Thank you for your response.  

I also have a pretty bad history of migraines.   Could that be related?

[Tibberz]

I would ask to be referred to a neurologist as soon as possible. They found my Chiari Malformation first and I'm waiting for a full spinal MRI but my doc was only going to offer surgery if I had already developed a syrinx. Need to rule out a Chiari Malformation in my opinion. Once damage from a syrinx is caused, it is permanent so you need to reverse what is causing them as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, this is just what I would do in your situation based on what I know.

[jakejacob]

I guess what I basically want to know is does the size of the Syrinx matter? Also, does it matter that there are multiple syrinxes? Does that make it worse? Is it possible that I was just born with these in my spinal cord and there is no cause? Is that still considered syringomyelia?

I'm sorry for the amount of questions, I just want to know if there is anything going on that's serious.

[Tibberz]

It is possible that anything could be causing them. Again I'm not a medical expert, but as long as you are not feeling symptoms at the moment you should be fine, but it's very important to find out what is causing them and to try and correct that issue because if they get larger due to said issue, they may begin giving permanent symptoms.

In regards to your Migraines, they may or may not play a factor, you need to consult with your doctor with these concerns.