Function of Cerebellar Tonsils

[mama2twobabies]

Out of curiosity, what is the function of the cerebellar tonsils? I can't find their exact function. I can find the cerebellum's function of controlling balance, spacial & fine motor functions. Are the cerebellar tonsils related to the functions of the cerebellum only, or do they have their own specific functions? Just wondering what these things that are causing all of these problems with me actually do in my brain!

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the chiari forum.

On the topic of the size herniation and if it could be symptomatic u can get many different answers in fact as many answers as Drs u ask....they do not all tend to agree, especially if they r not true chiari specialists...many use 5mm herniation as criteria to dx chiari...but chiari is the malformation of the skull causing there to be a smaller area, the herniation is a result of the smaller space.The  length of the herniation also is not really the issue, but if there is a CSF obstruction, overcrowding, and what r the symptoms...

With a dx of chiari there r related issues we should all be checked for, and with children even more so with sleep apnea....in addition to sleep apnea tethered cord, disk issues, IH, PTC, ehlers-danlos,levels of vitamins and minerals....

  make sure u see several NS's and that they r true chiari specialists.

    "selma"

[jojoryry]

my son had an mri and they said his cerebellar tonsils sat 7mmbelow what they should. We are in the process of getting an appoiontment with the neurosurgeon to find out more information. He is 4 years old, from what i have seen or heard this is usually diagnosed as an adult possibly because the adult is more aware of what is happening. Im wondering is 7mm really low or is it just not normal still confused and would like to see dr asap but was told it may be a month.

[thrice3]

my NS said the same exact thing. He ended up shrinking one of the tonsils in my surgery.

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

  When having this surgery a few yrs back it was more common for the tonsils to be removed completely...in more recent yrs, they have been leaving them if there is room, or cauterizing them...this is all to help create as much room as possible to allow CSF flow.....

  In the case the tonsils r crammed , like  zygy2 mentioned, they may choose to remove them...but it is not as  routine as it once was....that is y I said it was an old  way of doing  it....

  With NS's u deff want one that is a true chiari specialist...see a few  and compare....do not rush into surgery as it is not a cure or a fix...just a means to restore CSF flow and slow progression.

  I hope this is helpful.

   "selma"

[lalalodestone]

That makes sense to me.  Thanks.  Creepy though.  It's hard to take all of this in.  I've talked to four NSs, but only one of whom was a chiari specialist.  The first three all said they wouldn't remove or shrink the tonsils, but the specialist, who seemed really competent, said that he likely would, though it would depend on how things looked when he got in there and after the other parts of the surgery.

[billyz123]

I know this is an old topic, but I just wanted to say that at my consultation with Dr. Bolognese at TCI, he said he would cauterize my tonsils and that they have no function whatsoever. If that's true, than cauterizing them probably gives a much better chance of never having them droop down again later in life.