Do you have spinal cord atrophy/demyelination along with Chiari Malformation?

[lynnbrook177]

I have recently been diagnosed with an atrophic change on my spinal cord at T5, and was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation 10 years ago.
For many years, my symptoms weren’t too bad, and doctors put most of them down to anxiety!!
This recent find on my spinal cord may have been there all along, and may be the cause of my developing symptoms. But this small area on my spinal cord, a focal flare without any sign of a lesion, may have been missed on previous scans, because it isn’t very visible. It’s taken 10 years of testing to find this!
Just wondering if anyone else has had this diagnosis...or maybe it’s something that is a possibility in your case. If you’ve had this diagnosis, what is the known cause? (My nu did say it may have been present at birth)
I am presently awaiting ms test results, but ms means multiple scars, and I only have one!
I will keep you posted on my results!
H <3

[lynnbrook177]

Hi Selma, thanks for your response. It’s so frustrating that doctors withhold info like that! I’ve experienced info being withheld as well!
I believe our spinal issues are different. From what I’ve read, you have stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal (bones), that eventually affects the spinal cord; but I have an atrophic change on the cord itself, where it appears to be narrower in one spot, as would happen in m.s. However, I have so much to learn and won’t know until my next appointment. Pretty scary!
I’ll keep you posted!

[selmaS]

Hi Heather....I know I told you I also have spinal stenosis....but I didn't tell you it was found years before my Chiari was ever noticed....I think I was 27 I was told I have spinal stenosis and  something else was never told to me, but in a report I saw once my Chiari was found...my MRI's at 27 showed I had tethered cord!! But I was never told.
I was told that some stenosis is expected as we age.....not sure if at 27 I aged sufficiently for it to show, but I am  not a Dr. I was also told it was not causing my then symptoms....so it was dropped and forgotten.