Abstract
Objective:: The objective of this study was to retrospectively study Chiari I malformation patients (<18 years) treated surgically. Materials and Methods:: Chiari I malformation patients (<18 years) treated surgically at our institute were retrospectively studied. Results:: During the study period between January 1999 and June 2011, fifty patients, aged 18 years with Chiari malformation, were treated surgically and formed the basis for this series. There were 21 female children (42%) and 29 male children (58%), with a female-to-male ratio of 1:1. At the last follow-up, oropharyngeal symptoms were improved in 33% (n = 3/9). Headache/neck/back pain improved in 69.56% of children (n = 16/23). Upper-extremity pain/weakness/numbness improved in 73.91% of children (n = 17/23). Ataxia improved in 66.66% of children (n = 4/6). Lower-limb weakness/hyperreflexia improved in 83.33% of children (n = 5/6). At follow-up, magnetic resonance imaging for patients with syrinx was available for 75% of patients (n = 30/50) and not available for 25% of patients (n = 10/40). Syrinx was diminished in size or resolved in 66.33% of patients (n = 19/30) and the remaining was same for 36.66% of patients (n = 11/30). Conclusions:: The main goal of surgery is to arrest the progression of neurological deficits. Foramen magnum decompression with a lax duroplasty is the surgical procedure of choice.
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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License, which permits unrestricted reproduction and distribution, for non-commercial purposes only; and use and reproduction, but not distribution, of adapted material for non-commercial purposes only, provided the original work is properly cited.
