[Severe reversible dysphagia caused by herniation of the cerebellar ectopia]

A 58-year-old woman developed headaches and increasingly severe dysphagia over two years, which made her dependent on a nasogastric tube. Other symptoms were an unsteady gait and paraesthesias in the face, hands and feet. MR scanning of the craniospinal junction showed cerebellar ectopia with protrusion into the foramen magnum (Chiari I malformation). The patient recovered completely following surgical decompression. Previous reports show that this reversible cause of dysphagia is often not recognised until at a late stage.