Asymmetry of Tonsillar Ectopia in Chiari I Malformation

There has been almost no evaluation or discussion of the symmetry of tonsillar ectopia in the medical literature. We measured the degree of left and right tonsillar herniation in 42 pediatric patients with a symptomatic Chiari I malformation and made clinical/radiological correlations. 18% of all patients with tonsillar asymmetry had clinical symptoms or physical findings referable to the inequality of their hindbrain herniation. In addition, 95% of patients with a coexisting syringomyelia had a right cerebellar tonsillar herniation greater than the left. We hypothesize that slight differences in posterior cranial fossa morphology may physically allow for greater unilateral herniation of the left or right cerebellar tonsil, which may be manifested in a patient's clinical presentation.