Treatment

Treatment for syringomyelia depends on the severity and progression of your signs and symptoms.

Monitoring

If syringomyelia isn't causing signs or symptoms, monitoring with periodic MRI and neurological exams might be all you need.

Surgery

If syringomyelia is causing signs and symptoms that interfere with your life, or if signs and symptoms rapidly worsen, your doctor will likely recommend surgery.

The goal of surgery is to remove the pressure the syrinx places on your spinal cord and to restore the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid. This can help improve your symptoms and nervous system function. The type of surgery you'll need depends on the cause of syringomyelia.

To reduce pressure on your brain and spinal cord, surgery options include:

• Treating Chiari malformation. If syringomyelia is caused by Chiari malformation, surgery might involve removing a small section of bone at the back of your skull. This surgery can reduce pressure on your brain and spinal cord, restore the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid, and might improve or resolve syringomyelia.
• Draining the syrinx. Your doctor will surgically insert a drainage system, called a shunt. It consists of a flexible tube that keeps fluid from the syrinx flowing in the desired direction. One end of the tubing is placed in the syrinx, and the other is placed in another area of your body such as your abdomen.
• Removing the obstruction. If something within your spinal cord, such as a tumor or a bony growth, is hindering the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, surgically removing the obstruction might restore the flow and allow fluid to drain from the syrinx.
• Correcting the abnormality. If a spinal abnormality is hindering the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, surgery to correct it, such as releasing a tethered spinal cord, might restore fluid flow and allow the syrinx to drain.

Surgery doesn't always restore the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, and the syrinx might remain, despite efforts to drain the fluid from it.

Follow-up care

Syringomyelia can recur after surgery. You'll need regular examinations with your doctor, including periodic MRIs, to assess the outcome of surgery.

The syrinx can grow over time, requiring additional treatment. Even after treatment, some signs and symptoms of syringomyelia can remain, as a syrinx can cause permanent spinal cord and nerve damage.