The key difference between syringomyelia and syringobulbia is that syringomyelia is a medical condition that causes fluid-filled cavities in the spinal cord around the central canal, while syringobulbia is a medical condition that causes fluid-filled cavities in the lower brainstem.
Syringomyelia and syringobulbia are two medical conditions that form fluid-filled cavities (cavitation) in the parts of the central nervous system. Syringomyelia results in central cavitation of the spinal cord, while syringobulbia results in a cavitation of the medulla oblongata or lower brainstem. They are relatively rare disorders. Moreover, both these conditions are often associated with congenital abnormalities such as Chiari malformations, neoplasms, or spinal cord trauma.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Syringomyelia
3. What is Syringobulbia
4. Similarities – Syringomyelia and Syringobulbia
5. Syringomyelia vs Syringobulbia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Syringomyelia vs Syringobulbia
What is Syringomyelia?
Syringomyelia is the development of fluid-filled cysts or cavities within the center of the spinal cord. Over time, these cavities can enlarge and damage the spinal cord, causing peculiar symptoms. The actual cause of syringomyelia is unclear. However, several conditions such as Chiari malformation, meningitis, spinal cord tumor, and conditions present at birth like tethered spinal cord and spinal cord injury can lead to syringomyelia. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include muscle weakness and wasting, loss of reflexes, loss of sensitivity to pain and temperature, headaches, stiffness in the back, shoulders, arms, and legs, pain in the neck, arms, and back, and spinal curvature. The possible complications of this condition are scoliosis, chronic pain, motor difficulties, and paralysis.
Figure 01: Syringomyelia
Diagnosis of syringomyelia is carried out through medical history, physical examination, and imaging tests such as MRI and CT scan. Furthermore, treatment options for syringomyelia are surgeries, treating Chiari malformation, draining the syrinx, removing the obstruction, correcting the spinal abnormality, and usage of pain relievers (acetaminophen and ibuprofen).
What is Syringobulbia?
Syringobulbia is a medical condition that causes fluid-filled cavities in the lower brainstem, the medulla oblongata. The exact cause of this condition is unknown, but it can be linked to a widening of the central canal of the spinal cord. Therefore, syringobulbia may be caused by a birth defect, trauma, or tumor growth. The symptoms of syringobulbia may include pain, loss of sense of temperature, alveolar hypoventilation, hypercapnia, stridor, and irregular breathing. The possible complications may include occipital headache, vertigo, dysphonia, dysarthria, trigeminal paresthesia or diplopia, tinnitus, palatal or hypoglossal palsy, hiccups, nystagmus, oscillopsia, Horners’s syndrome, hearing loss, scapular winging, and facial myokymia (twitching of faces).
The diagnosis of syringobulbia is made through medical history, physical examination, and neuroimaging like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The treatment options for syringobulbia may include pain relievers, tricyclic antidepressants, physiotherapy, and surgeries to reroute the flow of cerebrospinal fluid by the use of diversion tubes or shunts.
What are the Similarities Between Syringomyelia and Syringobulbia?
- Syringomyelia and syringobulbia are two medical conditions that cause fluid-filled cavities (cavitation) in the parts of the central nervous system.
- They are neurological disorders.
- Both are relatively rare disorders
- They are often associated with congenital abnormalities such as Chiari malformations, neoplasms, or spinal cord trauma.
- Both often cause chronic pain.
- Both are diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests.
- They are treated through pain relievers and surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Syringomyelia and Syringobulbia?
Syringomyelia is a medical condition that causes fluid-filled cavities in the spinal cord, while syringobulbia is a medical condition that causes fluid-filled cavities in the lower brainstem. Thus, this is the key difference between syringomyelia and syringobulbia. Furthermore, syringomyelia is caused by conditions such as Chiari malformation, meningitis, spinal cord tumor, and conditions present at birth like tethered spinal cord and spinal cord injury. On the other hand, syringobulbia is caused by a birth defect, trauma, or tumor growth.
The below infographic presents the differences between syringomyelia and syringobulbia in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Syringomyelia vs Syringobulbia
Syringomyelia and syringobulbia are two neurological conditions that cause cavitation in the parts of the central nervous system. These are rare disorders with unknown aetiology. Moreover, both these conditions are mainly characterized by chronic pain. Syringomyelia causes fluid-filled cavities in the spinal cord around the central canal, while syringobulbia causes fluid-filled cavities in the lower brainstem. So, this summarizes the difference between syringomyelia and syringobulbia
Reference:
1. “Syringomyelia: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Syringobulbia – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment.” National Organization for Rare Disorders.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Syringomyelia-chiari-2-500” By Luciobgomes – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia