Can syringomyelia cause unilateral or bilateral upper limb weakness?

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From the Research

Syringomyelia and Upper Limb Weakness

  • Syringomyelia can cause upper limb weakness, which can be unilateral or bilateral 1, 2.
  • A study published in 2024 described a case of a 52-year-old male presenting with progressive weakness in bilateral upper limbs without any sensory involvement, which is an atypical presentation for syringomyelia 1.
  • Another study published in 1989 reported a case of a 53-year-old woman presenting with weakness in the left hand, which was initially diagnosed as juvenile muscular atrophy of the unilateral upper extremity, but was later found to be associated with syringomyelia 2.
  • Upper limb weakness in syringomyelia can be associated with other neurological findings such as numbness, sensory loss, and muscle wasting 3, 4.
  • The presentation of syringomyelia can be variable, and any patient presenting with pure motor weakness of bilateral upper limb should also be suspected of syringomyelia 1.

References

1
Research

Syringomyelia Mimicking as Bibrachial Variant of Motor Neuron Disease.

The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 2024

3
Research

Isolated Horner's syndrome and syringomyelia.

Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2000

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