Summary
A case of communicating syringomyelia is presented with a history of sudden onset following a minor fall. It is suggested that a sudden venous pressure change may have been responsible for the onset of symptoms. Operative findings in this case and observation of other cases together with perusal of the literature leads us to the conclusion that the gradual progression of symptoms in all reported cases of communicating syringomyelia could well be explained by the effects of venous distension within the spinal canal and cranium leading to diversion of fluid into a communication. In all cases it seems that there is a narrowing or obliteration of the normal passage which cerebrospinal fluid would usually take in the subarachnoid space as it ebbs and flows along the outside of the medulla and cervical cord.
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Williams, B., Turner, E. Communicating syringomyelia presenting immediately after trauma. Acta neurochir 24, 97–106 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01403315
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01403315