Syringomyelia

What it is

Syringomyelia (Sir-IN-go-my-EEL-ee-uh), also known as SM, is a progressive disorder caused when a fluid filled sac, or syrinx, forms inside the spinal cord.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a syrinx can include arm and leg weakness, paralysis, intense pain, numbness, difficulty in swallowing, and other impairments. The size of the syrinx is often misleading, as no correlation has been made between the size of the syrinx and the severity of symptoms. Causes of SM include CM and spinal cord trauma, such as from a car accident or tumor.

Treatment

The original surgical approach involved draining the syrinx. Since many syrinxes have reoccurred, it is now thought best to find the cause and treat it.