Is Chiari Malformation a Cause of Systemic Hypertension and Sinus Bradycardia? a Case Report and Literature Review



Ghasemi M¹ ; Golabchi K² ; Shaygannejad V¹ ; Rezvani M³
Source: Journal of Research in Medical Sciences Published:2011

Abstract

A middle aged woman, having a history of diastolic hypertension and sinus bradycardia since one year ago, was referred to our center with a sudden occipital headache after shouting. To evaluate the cause of headache the brain MRI was performed reporting a slight cerebellar tonsillar herniation of about one centimeter below the foramen magnum. After the patient was diagnosed to have type I Chiari malformation, a surgery procedure was done and the symptoms were recovered after that. Type I Chiari malformation is a disease mostly caused by congenital displacement of cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum. The most common symptom is headache, rarely reported with hypertension or sinus bradycardia.