Late decompression in a patient with post-traumatic syringomyelia

Syringomyelia is an uncommon, but disabling complication of spinal cord injuries. The authors presented a female patient with syringomyelia, in whom diagnosis was made 14 years after the initial trauma and decompression was performed three years thereafter. Decompression was carried out via the anterior approach without any complication. The result at the end of a three-year follow-up was satisfactory with improvement in her neurologic symptoms. This case indicates that decompression can be of benefit even though it is performed late after the occurrence of neural compression and emphasizes the need for a thorough examination of the symptoms before planning treatment.