Type I Chiari Malformation Presenting in an Adult

Description 

Type I Chiari malformations (CMs) is an acquired or congenital disorder characterised by the presence of the cerebellar tonsils at 5 mm or below of the spinal canal, which can result in abnormal cerebrospinal fluid flow and produce headaches, syrinx or hydrocephalus. CMs are still considered an uncommon disease with a prevalence in the USA of less than 1%.1 2 We present a 44-year-old man with no medical history who presented to the emergency department complaining of nausea, vomiting, vertigo and a 2-day history of headaches exacerbated with Valsalva manoeuvres. He was initially admitted with a working diagnosis of ischaemic stroke and underwent a CT scan of the brain, which was unremarkable. Further work-up with brain MRI disclosed incidental cerebellar herniation 6.5 mm below the foramen magnum (figure 1) and no abnormalities in spinal canal MRIs. The patient was treated symptomatically with oral...

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