Cough syncope and central sleep apnea caused by CM1 with atlas assimilation in adult: An illustrative case.

BACKGROUND

Cough syncope, central sleep apnea (CSA), and Chiari type 1 malformations (CM1) with atlas assimilation are very rare in adults.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 48-year-old male taxi driver fainted. He was neurologically intact, but tested positive for mild sleep apnea confirmed by a polysonogram. The magnetic resonance imaging diagnosed a CM1 with syringomyelia and atlas occipitalization. The patient underwent an uneventful foramen magnum decompression/C1 laminectomy and remained intact 7 years later.

CONCLUSION

A 48-year-old male presented after fainting with cough syncope, CSA and a CM1; following foramen magnum decompression/C1 laminectomy, the patient remained neurologically stable for the next 7 years.