We experienced two cases of scoliosis thought to be caused by spinal disorders.
[Case 1] A 5-year and 11-month old boy was diagnosed as scoliosis with thoracic curve in August, 1997. In the following month, motor paralysis of the right foot occurred and syringomyelia with type I Arnold-Chiali malformation was found at MRI. Posterior fossa decompression and insertion of a cystsubarachnoid shunt were performed in March, 1998. A thoracic curve at T6-T10 of 14 degrees and another at T10-L2 of 27 degrees were seen on the anteroposterior radiograph in May, 1998. One year after operation, the curve had improved at T6-T10 of 9 degrees and at T10-L2 of 3 degrees.
[Case 2] A8-year and 2-month-old girl she had right thoracic curve at T8-T2 of 17 degrees on the anteroposterior radiograph in February, 1997. She had no neurological symptoms then. But gait dysfunction appeared in March, 1998. MRI of the spinal cord revealed an intradural mass lesion in the cervical spinal cord and tumorectomy was performed. The Cobb angle improved by 8 degrees one year after operation.
There are some spinal disorder patients who show no neurological symptoms and only scoliosis.
We recommend MRI screening for scoliosis patients less than 11 years old showing asymmetry of the abdominal reflex, and atypical curve pattern.
