Suboccipital bony decompression combined with removal of the dural band as treatment for Chiari I malformation

Chiari I malformation (CMI) is a disorder involving hindbrain maldevelopments characterized by herniation of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum. The clinical presentations of CMI are related to the direct compression of the brainstem and cerebellum and to disturbances to cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) circulation. Surgical intervention is indicated in symptomatic patients with neuroradiological abnormalities. Though many different surgical options are available, suboccipital decompression has been widely accepted as a preferred procedure with or without additional manipulations. Nevertheless, any intradural procedures will risk related complications, including meningitis or arachnoiditis, CSF leakage, pseudomeningoceles, vascular injuries, brainstem dysfunction, as well as delayed neurological deterioration. Since the main benefit of surgery for CMI is to arrest the progression of the disease and stabilize the patient‘s neurological state, additional procedures seem to be unnecessary. To achieve acceptable therapeutic results for CMI, it is beneficial to perform a simple and effective procedure involving a minimal extent of surgery. The purpose of this article is to present an extradural technique for the modification of suboccipital decompression and to evaluate its efficacy based on clinical and neuroradiological results.

Suboccipital bony decompression combined with removal of the dural band as treatment for Chiari I malformation