BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Upper cervical spinal canal dimension may have a role in abnormal CSF dynamics in patients with Chiari I malformation. We attempted to measure spinal canal tapering from anteroposterior spinal canal dimensions in patients with Chiari I. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with Chiari I malformation, including 12 with syringomyelia and 7 patients with IS were identified from a local registry. Age- and sex-matched control subjects with cervical spine MR imaging findings reported as normal were selected from the PACS. The anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal was measured at C1-C7 on T2-weighted sagittal MR images. The taper ratio of the spinal canal was calculated with the regression line. Goodness of fit was calculated as R(2). Differences between patients with Chiari I and other patients were tested for significance with Kruskal-Wallis tests and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Taper ratios averaged -0.6 ± 0.3 mm/level in the patients with Chiari and syrinx, -0.4 ± 0.2 mm/level (mean ± 1 SD) in the patients with Chiari without syrinx, and -0.3 ± 0.5 mm/level in the patients with IS; control groups had average taper ratios of -0.3 ± 0.2 mm/level. Mean R(2) equaled 0.43. Taper ratios in patients with Chiari and syringomyelia differed significantly from those in the control group (P = .003). Taper ratios in the patients with Chiari without syrinx and in patients with IS did not differ significantly from their matched control groups (P = .60 and 0.76, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Chiari I and a syrinx have steeper tapering of the upper cervical spinal canal than matched controls.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Upper cervical spinal canal dimension may have a role in abnormal CSF dynamics in patients with Chiari I malformation. We attempted to measure spinal canal tapering from anteroposterior spinal canal dimensions in patients with Chiari I. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with Chiari I malformation, including 12 with syringomyelia and 7 patients with IS were identified from a local registry. Age- and sex-matched control subjects with cervical spine MR imaging findings reported as normal were selected from the PACS. The anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal was measured at C1-C7 on T2-weighted sagittal MR images. The taper ratio of the spinal canal was calculated with the regression line. Goodness of fit was calculated as R(2). Differences between patients with Chiari I and other patients were tested for significance with Kruskal-Wallis tests and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Taper ratios averaged -0.6 ± 0.3 mm/level in the patients with Chiari and syrinx, -0.4 ± 0.2 mm/level (mean ± 1 SD) in the patients with Chiari without syrinx, and -0.3 ± 0.5 mm/level in the patients with IS; control groups had average taper ratios of -0.3 ± 0.2 mm/level. Mean R(2) equaled 0.43. Taper ratios in patients with Chiari and syringomyelia differed significantly from those in the control group (P = .003). Taper ratios in the patients with Chiari without syrinx and in patients with IS did not differ significantly from their matched control groups (P = .60 and 0.76, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:Patients with Chiari I and a syrinx have steeper tapering of the upper cervical spinal canal than matched controls.
Authors: J D Heiss; N Patronas; H L DeVroom; T Shawker; R Ennis; W Kammerer; A Eidsath; T Talbot; J Morris; E Eskioglu; E H Oldfield Journal: J Neurosurg Date: 1999-10 Impact factor: 5.115
Authors: Raymond F Sekula; Peter J Jannetta; Kenneth F Casey; Edward M Marchan; L Kathleen Sekula; Christine S McCrady Journal: Cerebrospinal Fluid Res Date: 2005-12-18
Authors: Judith A Gadde; Vinil Shah; Greta B Liebo; Geir A Ringstad; I Jonathan Pomeraniec; Soren J Bakke; Radek Fric; Alexander Ksendzovsky; John A Jane; Erin S Schwartz; Victor Haughton Journal: Neuroradiol J Date: 2017-07-10