Syringomyelia is a fluid-filled cavity within the spinal cord.
Symptoms may include neck, shoulder, or arm pain, numbness, weakness, stiffness, imbalance, and sometimes loss of pain or temperature sensation.
Imaging helps show the size and level of the syrinx and whether there is an associated cause such as Chiari malformation, injury, or another spinal problem.
MRI is the key test because it shows the size, level, and any associated causes such as Chiari malformation or prior injury.
Management may include neurological follow-up, treatment of the underlying cause, or neurosurgery when symptoms progress.
This entry explains the condition. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.
