aetiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
The cause of syringomyelia is unknown. It has been suggested that the condition is the result of a developmental anomaly. There is an association with the Arnold-Chiari malformation in which the cerebellum extends through the foramen magnum and into the first part of the cervical spinal canal.
Other deformities which are associated with syringomyelia include:
- spina bifida
- cervical vertebral fusion - the Klippel-Feil syndrome
- cervical ribs
- kyphoscoliosis