Common Causes Of Syringomyelia

Meningitis

Meningitis is a disease characterized by the swelling and irritation of the brain and spinal cords protective membrane coverings or the meninges. Usually this inflammation is due to a viral or bacterial cerebrospinal fluid infection, however, it can be caused by other less common things. The infection itself can cause significant damage to the brain and spinal cord, however, the body's unbalanced inflammatory defense response is known to cause the most damage to the spinal cord and brain. Both the bacteria or virus causing meningitis and the defense response from the body can cause abnormal clotting within the spinal fluids, and a build-up of cerebral spinal fluid pressure within the brain and spinal cord. Both factors can induce the development of one or more fluid-filled cysts within the spinal cord tissues. Inflammation of the meninges can also induce inflammation of the arachnoid, which is also a common cause for a patient to develop fluid-filled cysts (syringomyelia).

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Trauma

Trauma to the spinal cord can cause delayed syringomyelia. The inducing injury could be a complete spinal cord injury, or it could be an incomplete spinal cord injury, which is uncommon. Syringomyelia can also occur after paraplegic or tetraplegic injuries. The super arachnoid scarring from the injury to the spinal cord obstructs the proper flow of cerebrospinal fluid, causing the syrinx to develop inside the spinal cord. Most of the time the syrinx develops in areas extending upwards from where the spinal cord injury occurred. However, in less common cases, it can develop and extend downward from the location of the spinal cord injury. Usually, the onset of syringomyelia occurs within a time frame ranging from five years to as long thirty-four years following the spinal cord injury. However, the onset of symptoms can happen as soon as just three months following the severe spinal cord injury. The mean amount of time that passes between the occurrence of the injury to the syringomyelia diagnosis is 2.8 years.

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