question about MRI

I have a question i recieved my MRI results and im not sure what some of the terms mean. The doctor only told me i have chiari and failed to mention the other stuff after i even asked him if i had a syrinx he said no, so is it not important? anyways this is first question what does this mean

Findings: focal syrinx within the upper cervical cord with increased T2 signal intensity within the cord surrounding the series suggesting cord edema.
Can someone tell me what that means.
and also i had a VP shunt placed in jan will that treat chiari my tonsils were at 12.6mm. and with the vp shunt placed will that collaspe the syrinx because i'm having alot of back and head pain.

[*Stormy*]

Hello,

I'm not an expert by any means but to me, that says that you do indeed have a syrinx. I am not sure if your Dr said that it wasn't b/c maybe at this point it is just a widening of the central canal...but I think it is cause for concern and you should definitely question him on it. Also, edema basically means swelling and if you have that it is also another factor that they look for regarding a syrinx. Was this a NS you were seeing? I honestly would take you results and find a specialist in Chiari to review these with you. Even if you were speaking to your NS...I don't find it very comforting that he wasn't giving you a lot of info (and obviously didn't read the report ).

I'm assuming that you have had the surgery already b/c you have a shunt in place?

Carolyn

[selmaS]

  Hi...I can only ask the same ? as Carolyn did, y u got the shunt...did u have intra cranial hypertension? DO u know what type of shunt it is?

A shunt is generally used to help a syrinx or excess CSF.....

A shunt will not help chiari except if ur chiari is a result of excess fluid pushing the tonsils down the shunt will reduce the fluid.....

"selma"

[Danigirl2119]

I have aquired Chiari from the lumbar shunt i had placed, he tied that one off and put in a programmable vp shunt thats all i know.  I really wish i could see a Chiari specialist but i am on medicaid and the only one i know of here in ohio dont take my insurance. I am seein alan hoffer in cleveland ohio. The back pain is so bad exspecially at night i can hardly sleep, when i was there last month and was telling him i'm getting headaches again which seem like high pressure he adjusted the shunt but that didnt help. i think that the flow is still obstrusted. I asked him if he could give me something for the headaches and back pain and he told me i would have to go back to my neurologist for that and my neurologist pissed around for 10months about the neck pain and stuff and i knew what was wrong but he wouldnt do an MRI even after on the CT said i had low lying tonsils.  I've pretty much lost all faith in doctors.

[*Stormy*]

I don't blame you...It is quite easy to lose faith when you realize that they don't know how to help you. Really, as you know, the key thing is to find a Dr that does...I realize that is tricky with insurance etc... For all our health care faults in Canada, at least that is not something I have to deal with but there are a very few amount of Drs that know Chiari here.

So I still am not understanding...what caused you to have a shunt place in the first place? I am wondering if they placed a shunt b/c you had high pressure and that Chiari could have been there in the first place and they just missed it? Though it can be acquired, you would be amazed how many Drs don't see or recognize it.

The headaches, back and neck pain are all too familiar symptoms of Chiari...at least for me. I am worried that they are messing around with shunts where they haven't treated the Chiari.

Have you checked our specialist link? Possibly there may be another specialist who will take your insurance?

Carolyn