Neuropathic arthropathy progressing with multiple joint involvement in the upper extremity due to syringomyelia and type I Arnold-Chiari malformation.

Neuropathic arthropathy (NA), known as Charcot neuroarthropathy, is a chronic, degenerative arthropathy and is associated with decreased sensory innervation. Numerous causes of this arthropathy have been described. Neuropathic joint, although first described by Charcot in tabes dorsalis in 1868, has subsequently been observed in a variety of conditions including syringomyelia, diabetes mellitus and peripheral nerve disorders. Syringomyelia is characterized by slow progression. The shoulders and elbows are the most frequently involved joints in syringomyelia. Involvement of the hand is a quite rarely seen in the cases of NA caused by syringomyelia. In this article, we reported a case of NA secondary to syringomyelia. The characteristics of this presented case is the presence of Arnold-Chiari malformation accompanying with syringomyelia and involvement of the shoulder, elbow and hand (multiple joint involvement).