Scoliosis and Syrinx Association

The association of scoliosis with syringomyelia is well established (Woods and Pimenta 1944; McRae and Standen 1966). Baker and Dove (1983) were the first to report scoliosis as the presenting sign of otherwise asymptomatic syringomyelia and this has since been confirmed by others (Raininko 1986; Isu et al 1992; Lewonowski, King and Nelson 1992). Zadeh et al (1995) found ten cases of syringomyelia in 12 patients with idiopathic scoliosis who had been selected for MRI after the identification of asymmetrical or absent superficial abdominal reflexes.

The pathophysiology of the development of scoliosis with syringomyelia has not been yet established.

Some authors have reported stabilization or improvement of scoliosis after syrinx drainage. yet other authors have reported questionable or no effect of drainage on curve progression.

Shrinkage of syringomyelia in children is associated with correction in scoliosis; Reference : Natural history of scoliosis in children with syringomyelia, a retrospective review of 27 scoliotic patients with syringomyelia using MRI; Chiba University and Chiba Higashi Hospital, Japan; J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 2001;83-B:371-6; Received 9 February 2000; Accepted 19 April 2000.