[Experimental syringomyelia in rabbits and rats after localized spinal arachnoiditis]

In order to produce syringomyelia, localized arachnoiditis was created in adult New Zealand albino rabbits and Wistar rats by the injection of kaolin into the thoracic spinal subarachnoid space and incision of the dura mater of the thoracic spinal cord. The rabbits and rats were divided into 3 groups; the control group, dural incision group (DG) and kaolin injection group (KG). Each rabbit was sacrificed at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks after the operation. Each rat was sacrificed at 8 and 16 weeks after the operation. Cavity formation in the cord of all rabbits was examined by ultrasound. All animals were perfused with 10% neutral beffered formalin at 150 cm H2O pressure, and histological examination was performed with Luxol fast blue (LFB) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains. Results obtained: (1) Cavity formation was noted in 6 of 16 DG of rabbit (37.5%), 5 of 16 KG of rabbit (31.2%) and 2 of 9 KG of rat (22.2%) with histological verification. With use of ultrasound, cavity was noted in 3 of 16 DG rabbits (12.5%) and 2 of 16 KG rabbits (18.8%). (2) Cavity formation was present in the cord adjacent to the marked adhesive arachnoiditis both in rabbits and in rats. (3) Cavity was noted in the ischemic area. (4) In 2 rabbits in which kaolin encircled whole surface of the spinal cord, hydromyelia was formed communicating with enlarged central canal caudad from the kaolin subarachnoid block. (5) Histological examination showed obliteration or narrowing of lumen of the small pial vessels involved in the adhesive arachnoiditis. In the cord parenchyma adjacent to the arachnoiditis, multiple spots of demyelination due secondary to ischemia demonstrated by LFB stain were noted. On the other hand, in the cord with the pia-arachnoid remained uninvolved, no demyelination was observed. (6) Localized adhesive arachnoiditis consisted of proliferation of fibrous tissue, lymphocytic infiltration and obliterating processes of small pial vessels involved in it. These data suggest that the cavitation within the cord would be induced by the ischemia, and hydromyelia would be produced by the pressure dissociation between the spinal subarachnoid space and the central canal.