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Can Syrinx Placed During Spinal Tumour Surgery Cause Muscle Stiffness And Legs Numbness?

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Posted on Tue, 8 Sep 2015
Question: hi

I had a spinal cord tumor removed on Nov 2014, from t9-t11 ependymoma. Their was a syrinx that the sugeron left. He said it will collapse by itself over time. Now 9 months later I have feeling worst. I am having more muscle stiffness and numbness in my legs. Is this part of the healing or can this be the syrinx getting bigger? I am starting to really getting worried. I did an MRI early last month and he said it stayed the same size. The tumor is gone with no traces on the MRI.

Do you think these new stiffness and numbess can be cause by the syrinx getting bigger or it this part of the healing?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (12 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Healing should not cause these symptoms.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query.

Healing should not cause worsening of cord compression symptoms.Worsening of the spinal cord compression has to be ruled out.The size of syrinx may possibly have increased.
You mentioned that MRI last month had no change in the size of the syrinx-the important point is that since when you are experiencing this worsening in symptoms.If this is a recent worsening(after the last MRI was done),then MRI Spine must be repeated.

If you have any further questions,I shall be glad to answer.Waiting for your follow-up query.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (51 minutes later)
yes most of the new symptons are after the last mri. Can the syrinx increase in size so fast(about 6 weeks)? How long does the syrinx take to collapse? If it did increase in size, is the surgery to remove it as hard and bad as the tumor removal(will they have to move the cords like the last surgery)?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (23 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
As follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for being in follow-up.

Here are pointwise answers to your queries:
1)Yes,syrinx can increase in size rapidly,especially in situations when it is developing secondary to some compression,like a tumor.
2)It may usually take several months.Even more than that, sometimes.
3)Surgery depends on the cause of syrinx.Like,if it is secondary to chiari or a tumor,then their removal will automatically bring improvement.In this case,it appears to be secondary,so please get repeat MRI done,so that next line of management can be decided.

If you have some further questions,I shall be glad to answer.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (8 minutes later)
last question with the tumor gone completely, do you think the syrinx could have gotten bigger and is it likely in most cases?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (5 hours later)
Brief Answer:
This does not correlate.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for being in follow-up.

Obviously,if the tumor is not there,syrinx should shrink instead of increasing.So far,this does not correlate.However,I feel only fresh MRI can settle the things in this case.

Hope that I have answered your query.If you have further questions,please follow-up else please close the thread,rate it and write a review as your rating will be of help to me.

Please get back to me after you get a fresh MRI done as I am curious to track your future developments.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Ajay Panwar

Neurologist

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Can Syrinx Placed During Spinal Tumour Surgery Cause Muscle Stiffness And Legs Numbness?

Brief Answer: Healing should not cause these symptoms. Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com. I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query. Healing should not cause worsening of cord compression symptoms.Worsening of the spinal cord compression has to be ruled out.The size of syrinx may possibly have increased. You mentioned that MRI last month had no change in the size of the syrinx-the important point is that since when you are experiencing this worsening in symptoms.If this is a recent worsening(after the last MRI was done),then MRI Spine must be repeated. If you have any further questions,I shall be glad to answer.Waiting for your follow-up query. Regards Dr.Ajay Panwar, MD,DM(Neurology)