Im at 9mm what does this mean?

[lexlan]

I have an appt with a nuerosurgeon on monday to see what my necxt step is.  I have been reading about mm so I called to see what my report stated and it is 9mm, what does this mean?

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I am so sorry ur DS was DX'd with this condition......

Not sure what it means in a medical sense, but I would consider more testing....check to see if he has a CSF obstruction......syringomyelia (syrinx), tethered cord, ehlers-danlos,ICP, POTS, sleep apnea, low levels of vitamins and minerals.....

Chiari affects the spinal cord and all the signals for many bodily functions so we all may experience different symptoms.

May I ask how old is ur DS?

[Mal18mm]

My son was diagnosed  with a 18mm and is having slurred speech. What does this mean?

[tommmysmile]

They told me my cervical spine MRI was 7mm and my head mri was 5mm.  Is this strange?

[youngwife]

I want to strongly encourage each of you that are new to pursue a real Chiari expert.  Degree of herniation should NEVER be what determines surgery or not.  Rather, degree of CSF flow, degree of debilitating symptoms, and degree of brain stem crowding should all be considered when deciding whether or not to have surgery.

Another consideration is if you have a connective tissue disorder like Ehlers-Danlos.  This would make the surgery more risky.

All of these are factors....it's just so very important to find a doctor that really knows what he is talking about.  And, sadly, so many out there don't though they *think* they do!

You'll want to find a specialist that treats lots of Chiari patients.  And, do lots of research online.  If you dig deep enough,  you might be able to find another patient in your area that can give you their opinion.

HTH! :)

Rebecca

[marileew]

hi there. i have a 12mm herniation and my doctors have not suggested surgery. but, in canada, doctors very rarely suggest surgery in chiari cases. i also don't have a syrinx in my cervical spine. i do have chiari symptoms, but... since there is no cervical syrinx, no recommended surgery... at least in my city/country. apparently my doctor has another chiari case with a syrinx and surgery isn't being recommended in that case either... so, i'm really getting the feeling that surgery in chiari cases is rather discouraged here.

but, yeah... i do have a 12mm herniation. i think like lloyd, shane and others have said... it's not so much the size that counts (hehe) in most cases, because some people with much smaller herniation than me have much more severe symptoms and need immediate surgery to prevent serious complications... whereas with me, i probably don't need surgery or maybe i do or will at some point, but if i do, i would for sure be waaaayyy down the list on triage at this point. :)

so, i think... if you're worried about the size of it, you shouldn't be... if your symptoms are really bad and you really need the surgery, you'll be place higher on triage regardless of the size of the herniation. and, if you're worried about getting a needless surgery because you don't hurt and your life isn't being impacted by this herniation, don't worry about that, they won't give you a needless surgery!! but, like selmaS and other people have said too... if you do hurt, and your life is being impacted negatively, and you get brushed off... don't think that means you don't need help, make sure you find a chiari specialist, they'll help you properly! :)

[Shane99]

Hello tandmstephens,

Yes, my herniation was 20mm (2cm) and I've had the surgery.

There is no cure for Chiari, but about 80% of the time the operation helps significantly with symptoms. It also helps tremendously with halting the progression of other symptoms.

I still have some problems, but I was quickly becoming paralyzed from the syrinx. I still have some tingling in my hand, but it hasn't gotten any worse.

[tandmstephens]

i read that yours is at 9mm, I was told that mine is a 1.8cm. is there anyone out there that has a herniation that large and if so did you have the surgery? I am scheduled to have the surgery in april, is it really going to help me? I am just so tired of the constant pain and fatigue is it goin to help these symptoms at all?

[Shane99]

To give you an idea - 9mm is about a 3rd of an inch (about .35 inch). While that may not sound like much, understand that the tonsil is measured from where it is encroaching into the spine (below the skull). There is at least that much more of a herniation below what is a normal shaped cerebellum.

Like Lloyd says, there isn't an exact rule, but generally around 8-9mm is when the majority of herniations start causing problems.

One of the big problems with Chiari is something called Syringomyelia - like selma said- this is where the spinal fluid flow (CSF - Cerebrospinal fluid) become impeded. This can lead to serious problems like paralysis. That's why it's important to have an MRI and have it read (and be under the care of) a neurosurgeon who is an acknowledged Chiari Specialist.  

[lloyd0307]

I had a 9mm also.  I just had the Decompression Surgery last week to correct the hurnitation/compression.  My doctor said that there wasn't a "RULE" that said when to do surgery or not, it depends on orther symptoms that affecting the patient.

[selmaS]

Hi lexlan,

The 9 mm is the lenght of ur herniation...the amount below the foramen magmum.The herniation or tonsils can be elongated or rounded....some may be described as deformed.

It is possible that ur herniation is causing a blockage to ur CSF flow.The NS u r going to see will most likely look for a CSF block and if u have a syrinx syringomyelia) or tethered cord.These are related conditions to chiari.

It is important that ur NS is a chiari specialist and his/her pratice's main focus is chiari and related conditions.

Be advised u may get the brush off from this dr.....it all depends on his keeping up on new ideals and treatments in this area.

Please post an update after ur appt.

"selma"