[Neurological manifestations of syringomyelia]

The subjects were among the patients registered at the Nagoya University Hospital, Aichi Medical University Hospital and Nagoya National Hospital between 1972 and 1995. There were 21 males and 21 females in this series. Symptoms began at 10 to 55 years of age. Cranial nerves were involved in 57% of the cases. The bulbar lesion was usually unilateral and on the same side as the cervical lesion. In regard to the cardinal signs of syringomyelia, segmental dissociated sensory loss was present in 95% of cases, segmental atrophy of upper limbs in 90%, and loss of sweating in 48%. Advanced cases became chair-bound because of spastic paralysis. However, they usually had no bulbar palsy nor sphincter disturbances, and the life expectancy was close to normal with adequate nursing. In twenty-one cases undergoing operation of posterior fossa decompression, the side of greater tonsilar herniation corresponded to the dominant side of cervical lesion.