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Syringomyelia

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Surgery of the Spine and Spinal Cord

Abstract

Syringomyelia is the development of a cyst, or syrinx, within the central canal of the spinal cord. In non-affected individuals, the central canal often begins to collapse by the second decade of life, though the exact ages of closure are highly variable. In patients with syringomyelia, increased pressure in the central nervous system (CNS) allows fluid to enter the normally collapsed central canal, causing dilation and formation of a syrinx.

When the fluid causes expansion of the ependymal cell-lined central canal, it is defined as hydromyelia. Hydromyelia has communication between the syrinx and the fourth ventricle. In syringomyelia, the syrinx is termed noncommunicating, as there is no connection with the fourth ventricle. Furthermore, fluid in syringomyelia dissects into the parenchyma, and the syringe is lined with glial cells

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Adam Prince MD

  2. Department of Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Jeffrey P. Mullin MD & Edward C. Benzel MD

  3. Center for Spine Health Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Edward C. Benzel MD

Authors
  1. Adam Prince MD
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  2. Jeffrey P. Mullin MD
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  3. Edward C. Benzel MD
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Correspondence to Edward C. Benzel MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Neurosurgery, AZ Nikolaas, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium

    Erik van de Kelft

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Prince, A., Mullin, J.P., Benzel, E.C. (2016). Syringomyelia. In: van de Kelft, E. (eds) Surgery of the Spine and Spinal Cord. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27613-7_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27613-7_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-27611-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-27613-7

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