Info on Arnold-Chiari I, Idiopathic Syringomyelia, and Idiopathic Scoliosis: Causes and Insights

C. Merló (left) and Chiari patient E. Tarquini (right) French patient Emmanuelle Tarquini is on an important date in March, the “Women’s Month”. On the morning of the 19 th , she and her teammate, Cécilia Merló, left from harbour of Barcelona for Morocco, where they are taking part in the 27 th edition of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles , the only off-road competition worldwide exclusively for female competitors. In order to participate, Tarquini has had to face a much bigger challenge than riding in a 4×4 jeep for 2500 kilometres through the Moroccan desert. Her great test has been to overcome the difficulties caused by the Arnold-Chiari I Syndrome, that was bringing about insufferable headaches, also neck pain and paresthesias in her right body half.

I would like to know if an Arnold Chiari I Syndrome can be operated on in an initial phase / I am being told that the descent of my cerebellar tonsils is not a Arnold Chiari I Syndrome, because it is of few millimetres, and that it does not need to be operated.  Do you agree with this indication? As soon as a descent of the cerebellar tonsils is detected, even if it is mild, our specialists study the complementary magnetic resonance scans, and/or others, in order to confirm whether this is due, or not, to a mechanical traction and identify the cause that brings it about. Example of a mild descent of the cerebellar tonsils.   If the existence of a mechanical traction of the spinal cord is confirmed, and the cause is an excessively tight filum terminale ( Filum Disease ), the SFT procedure is indicated as soon as possible in order to eliminate the traction that is traumatizing the spinal cord. For more Q & A vi sit our website .