Hi Linda, New Mobility has two good articles about syrinx, I wrote one of them: Para/Medic: Syrinx and Pain. I will include the links below. The people that I know that have syrinx had a spinal cord injury first, and the syrinx is caused by scar tissue around the spinal cord injury. Yes, a syrinx can cause additional paralysis.
When it comes to syrinx and spinal cord injury, the leading surgeons are Dr. Barth Green at the University of Miami, and Dr. Scott Falci at Craig Hospital in Denver. I interviewed Dr. Falci for my article. He has done over 1000 operations on people with syrinx and spinal cord injury. Dr. Falci and Charolotte Indeck, RN are very knowledgable, and personable and happy to answer questions. You can email them with questions at: [email protected] and/or phone them at: 303-761-5281 Their web address is: https://craighospital.org/programs/rehabilitative-neurosurgery It may take a day or two for them to get back to you as they get email and phone calls from all over North America. Bob V Here are the links to New Mobility articles on syrinx associated with spinal cord injuries (SCI) http://www.newmobility.com/2011/01/paramedic-syrinx-and-pain/ http://www.newmobility.com/2009/03/untethering-the-invisible-knot/ On Apr 6, 2015, at 2:34 PM, [email protected] wrote: > I know we've discussed about syrinx before but I have some questions for you. > I'll tell you whats going on. My oldest grandchild, Samantha was diagnosed 3 > yrs. ago with a syrinx in her spinal canal at the C6 level, she was 12yrs > old. That first yr she had no problems then last yr she started having double > vision & blurry vision. The Dr's said she had a pseuodo tumor pressing on her > optic nerves behind her eyes. They said there was no tumor but her body > thought it was a tumor caused by the syrinx. Last yr. the Dr's took her to > surgery to put in a Shunt at the base of her brain which drains down into her > abdomen just above her bladder. They put a magnetic dial under the skin just > below her right rib cage. With this dial they can regulate the amount of > spinal fluid from the shunt. She has a lot of nausea & headaches. Now her > double vision cleared up but she still has blurry vision. Sam is now 14 & has > a positive attitude. Then Friday morning she woke up feeling tingling & > numbness in her legs. Her parents, my Son & Daughter In-law took her back to > Chicago to her Dr's. They admitted her & giving her physical therapy & > teaching her how to walk with a walker. My questions for those of you that > have a syrinx did you get the syrinx after your spinal injury? Did anyone > become paralyzed because of the syrinx? Has anyone had their syrinx drained? > Sam's Drs said her syrinx had increased in size & she has lost too much > weight which caused her dial to dislodge. All that she has to go through > makes me sick. > Lindaf
