Mean term follow-up of a series of post-traumatic syringomyelia patients after syringo-peritoneal shunting

Abstract

We report the follow-up of a series of post-traumatic syringomyelia patients treated by syringo-peritoneal shunting (SPS). The neurological status was determined following the international ASIAjIMSOP standards for neurological classification of spinal cord injury; this was completed by a modified Silberstein classification that identifies the ascending neurological symptoms as well as the increasing myelopathic symptoms in patients with post-traumatic syringomyelia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was systematically performed to assess the presence of a postoperative residual syrinx or of meningeal fibrosis. Eight patients were studied (five men, three women) with an age ranging from 17 to 54 years (mean of 30.7 years) at the time of the spinal cord injury. Three had a complete or nearly complete paraplegia, five were incomplete. The post-traumatic syringomyelia was diagnosed from 2 to 8 years after the spinal cord injury and was treated by syringo- peritoneal shunting. Early complications occurred in three patients: (1) displacement of the catheter, (2) obstruction of the catheter, and (3) haematomyelia, which disappeared after a new surgical procedure was performed. The postoperative follow-up ranged from 3 to 9 years (mean of 4.5 years). The neurological level decreased in every case and the ascending neurological symptoms decreased or were stabilised in seven patients. The postoperative - ASIA/IMSOP scores and the increasing myelopathic symptoms improved in four patients but worsened in the four others, incomplete. The MRI showed an important decrease of the syrinxes in every patient associated with a serious meningeal fibrosis in five cases. Syringo-peritoneal shunting seems to be efficient in the treatment of the syrinx but may have a poor effect regarding the prevention of meningeal fibrosis. The ascending neurological symptoms are more sensitive than the increasing myelopathic symptoms to syringo- peritoneal shunting especially in those with incomplete paraplegia. © 1991 International Medical Society of Paraplegia.