Development , validation , and incorporation of a small number of disease-specific patient-based instruments will improve the quality of research and care of CM-I patients
OBJECT Chiari malformation Type I ( CM-I ) is a common and often debilitating neurological disease .
Efforts to improve treatment of CM-I are impeded by inconsistent and limited methods of evaluating clinical outcomes .
Prospective analysis of self-perceived quality of life before and after posterior fossa decompression in 112 patients with Chiari malformation with or without syringomyelia.
OBJECT The purpose of this prospect i ve study was to determine if there was a difference in the self-perceived quality of life ( QOL ) before and after surgery among patients with Chiari I malformations with or without syringomyelia . Most patients with Chiari I malformations report improvement in their QOL after decompression surgery ; however , specific outcome data have not been empirically studied in this patient population . METHODS One hundred seventy-two consecutive patients who underwent posterior fossa decompression based on neuroimaging evidence of a Chiari I malformation with or without syringomyelia were prospect ively offered participation in the study . The Sickness Impact Profile ( SIP ) was chosen as the instrument for data collection . Completed question naires were returned by 112 patients . A statistically significant improvement ( p < 0.0001 ) in SIP scores ( self-reported QOL ) was noted in 84 % of participants after decompression surgery . Patient age , amount of tonsillar herniation , and evidence of syringomyelia before surgery did not correlate with or adversely affect outcomes . Among 16 participants who reported worsening in their QOL , anecdotal information revealed extraneous factors unrelated to the Chiari I malformation that they perceived as negatively influencing their outcome . Among the extraneous variables noted by the participants were general health status , unrelated injury , other illnesses , and significant stress . CONCLUSIONS The majority of participants who underwent posterior fossa surgery for a Chiari I malformation reported significant improvement in their QOL after surgery
Development , validation , and incorporation of a small number of disease-specific patient-based instruments will improve the quality of research and care of CM-I patients
OBJECT Chiari malformation Type I ( CM-I ) is a common and often debilitating neurological disease .
Efforts to improve treatment of CM-I are impeded by inconsistent and limited methods of evaluating clinical outcomes .