Posttraumatic syringomyelia--a serious complication in tetra- and paraplegic patients

Acta Neurochir Suppl. 2005:93:165-7. doi: 10.1007/3-211-27577-0_29.

Abstract

Post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS) is relatively rare, but its complications can be serious. In the beginning of the operative treatment (1900-1930), scarring could be reduced to a certain degree. In modern treatment (1980 1990) a shunt implantation showed also little effect in long-term follow-up studies. Influenced by the work of B. Williams, 58 PTS patients underwent surgery to create a pseudomeningomyelocele, an artificial CSF reservoir, performed to normalize the CSF flow. In a 10-year-postoperative follow-up study (minimum observation two years), good results were obtained in more than 70%.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / methods*
  • Female
  • Hemiplegia / complications
  • Hemiplegia / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Laminectomy / methods*
  • Male
  • Microsurgery / methods*
  • Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / methods
  • Paraplegia / complications
  • Paraplegia / surgery*
  • Recovery of Function
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Spinal Cord Injuries / complications
  • Spinal Cord Injuries / surgery*
  • Syringomyelia / etiology
  • Syringomyelia / surgery*
  • Treatment Outcome