Syringomyelia

 Disease pathophysiology: Syningomtelia is a rare disorder where cyst (fluid filled cavity or syrinx) is formed in the within the spinal cord, if it is left untreated then it may also elongates over time and destroys the spinal cord. Normally damage to the spinal cord leads loss of sensation in hands. Some patients may even experience paralysis either temporarily or permanently and the symptoms are headaches, a loss of the ability to feel extremes of hot or cold (especially in the hands), and loss of bladder and other functions. 

 Treatment: The first and the best treatment for the Syningomtelia is surgery of the spinal cord. Surgery is not always recommended but sometimes radiation and analgesia is also used. To diagnose the disease diagnostics tests usually preferred are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), MRI is the most reliable diagnostic tool for syringomyelia. In the past, a computer tomography (CT) scan or myelogram, which uses X-ray images with a constrast dye, were used to diagnose the disorder. Since the invention of the MRI, it is considered the gold standard for diagnosing syringomyelia. Research: The precise causes of syringomyelia are still unknown although blockage to the flow of cerebrospinal fluid has been known to be an important factor since the 1970s. Scientists in the UK and America continue to explore the mechanisms that lead to the formation of syrinxes in the spinal cord. It has been demonstrated a block to the free flow of cerebrospinal fluid is a contributory factor in the pathogenesis of the disease. Duke University in America and Warwick University are conducting research to explore genetic features of syringomyelia.

 Statists: Syringomyelia is considered a rare condition, and early estimates suggested that approximately 21,000 individuals were affected with this condition. Given the current estimates on U.S. population size from the recent census, this figure would suggest that about 1/18,000 Americans have syringomyelia. However, this number probably underestimates the true frequency of syringomyelia. The ?perfect? study to estimate the frequency of syringomyelia would involve testing a large group of people (probably more than 10,000) selected at random to see how many have syringomyelia. This type of study has never been done, and so we have tried to estimate the prevalence of syringomyelia by pulling information from the scientific and medical literature.