Foramen magnum decompression for the treatment of Arnold Chiari malformation type I with associated syringomyelia in an elderly patient.

Abstract

Report of a rare case of an elderly patient with late onset of Arnold Chiari malformation type I with associated syringomyelia that was successfully treated with foramen magnum decompression. To report this rare case along with a literature review. Gifu, Japan. A 69-year-old woman with a 4-year history of dull pain in her right arm was referred to the clinic. After physical and radiographical examinations, she was diagnosed with Arnold Chiari malformation type I with associated syringomyelia. A foramen magnum decompression by the removal of the outer layer of the dura mater was performed. At 2 years postoperatively, MRI revealed a decrease in the size of the syringomyelia. Her symptoms had also remarkably improved. A rare case of symptomatic Arnold Chiari malformation type I with associated syringomyelia in an elderly woman was successfully treated with foramen magnum decompression by the removal of the outer layer of the dura mater.