Primary Spinal Syringomyelia with Hemianhidrosis: A Rare Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32734/sumej.v8i3.14462Keywords:
cerebrospinal fluid, hemiparesis, muscle atrophy, spinal cord, syringomyeliaAbstract
Background: The incidence of syringomyelia is very rare, at 8.4 per 100,000 people, or about 2%. It is characterized by a cyst filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the spinal cord tissue or central canal. Symptoms may include sensory and motor disturbances. Objective: We report a case of a 35-year-old woman who presented with pain, weakness, and stiffness in her back, shoulders, arms, and legs. Methods: She experienced weakness on her right side for the past five years and had no sweating on that side for two years. Motor examination showed flaccid hemiparesis and muscle atrophy in her right upper limb. Reflex testing revealed hyperreflexia in her right hand and leg. Sensory testing (touch, temperature, pain, vibration) showed dissociation of sensation on the medial-lateral side of her right arm and leg. Results: After 1.5 years of treatment, including routine Short Wave Diathermy (SWD), Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), physical therapy, and medication, her condition improved, and her quality of life was enhanced. Conclusion: This case highlights that a multidisciplinary approach, including SWD, TENS, physical therapy, and medication, can effectively reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in syringomyelia patients, even with extensive spinal involvement (C1-T11).
Downloads
References
Giner J, Pérez López C, Hernández B, Gómez de la Riva Á, Isla A, Roda JM. NEUROLOGÍA Update on the pathophysiology and management of syringomyelia unrelated to Chiari malformation PALABRAS CLAVE. 2019 [cited 2023 Nov 26]. Available from: www.elsevier.es/neurologia.
Ciaramitaro P, Massimi L, Bertuccio A, Solari A, Farinotti M, Peretta P, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of Chiari malformation and syringomyelia in adults: international consensus document. Neurol Sci. 2022 Feb;43(2):1327-42. doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05347-3.
Shenoy VS, Sampath R. Syringomyelia. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 [cited 2023 Nov 26]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537110/.
Sakushima K, Tsuboi S, Yabe I, Hida K, Terae S, Uehara R, et al. Original Paper Nationwide Survey on the Epidemiology of Syringomyelia in Japan.
Jones BV. Cord Cystic Cavities: Syringomyelia and Prominent Central Canal. Semin Ultrasound CT MR. 2017 Apr;38(2):98-104. doi: 10.1053/j.sult.2016.07.008.
Yudoyono F, Widhiatmo AO, Wirjomartani BA. Progressive Neurological Deficit in Adult Idiopathic Syringomyelia (IS): Case Report and Literature Review Defisit Neurologis Progresif pada Idiopathic Syringomyelia (IS) Dewasa: Laporan Kasus dan Tinjauan Pustaka. 2016.
Zhu GD, Wei XY. Case Report: Adult syringomyelia associated with Chiari I malformation treated with cervical manipulation: a case report. 2018 [cited 2023 Nov 26]. Available from: www.ijcem.com/
Makoshi Z, Leonard JR. Clinical Manifestations of Chiari I Malformation. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2023 Jan;34(1):25-34. doi: 10.1016/j.nec.2022.09.003.
Lammers W. Syringomyelia: Pathological Expansion of the Central Canal of the Spinal Cord because of a Syrinx. 2015 [cited 2023 Nov 26]. Available from: https://humanphysiology.academy/Neurosciences%202015/Chapter%202/CL.2%20Syringomyelia.html.
Olsson L, Antepohl W, Ravn SL. Active conservative management of primary spinal syringomyelia: a scoping review and perspectives for an activity-based clinical approach. J Rehabil Med. 2022;54:322. doi: 10.2340/jrm.v54;2398.
Verhagen AP. Physiotherapy management of neck pain. J Physiother. 2021 Jan;67(1):5-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jphys.2020.12.005.
Wardana J, Yudistira EFZ. Pengaruh_short_wave_diathermy_SWD_dan_transcutaneo. JKK. 2018;5(1):10-9.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sumatera Medical Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The Authors submitting a manuscript do so on the understanding that if accepted for publication, copyright of the article shall be assigned to Sumatera Medical Journal (SUMEJ) and Faculty of Medicine as well as TALENTA Publisher Universitas Sumatera Utara as publisher of the journal.
Copyright encompasses exclusive rights to reproduce and deliver the article in all form and media. The reproduction of any part of this journal, its storage in databases and its transmission by any form or media, will be allowed only with a written permission from Sumatera Medical Journal (SUMEJ).
The Copyright Transfer Form can be downloaded here.
The copyright form should be signed originally and sent to the Editorial Office in the form of original mail or scanned document.
