A novel technique to treat acquired Chiari I malformation after supratentorial shunting

PURPOSE: The acquired Chiari I malformation with abnormal cranial vault thickening is a rare late complication of supratentorial shunting. It poses a difficult clinical problem, and there is debate about the optimal surgical strategy. Some authors advocate supratentorial skull enlarging procedures while others prefer a normal Chiari decompression consisting of a suboccipital craniectomy, with or without C1 laminectomy and dural patch grafting.

METHODS: We illustrate three cases of symptomatic acquired Chiari I malformation due to inward cranial vault thickening.

RESULTS: We describe a new surgical approach that appears to be effective in these patients. This approach includes the standard Chiari decompression combined with posterior fossa augmentation by thinning the occipital planum.

CONCLUSION: Internal volume re-expansion of the posterior fossa by thinning the occipital planum appears to be an effective novel surgical strategy in conjunction with the standard surgical therapy of Chiari decompression.