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World J Clin Cases. Feb 6, 2021; 9(4): 764-773
Published online Feb 6, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i4.764
Chiari malformations in children: An overview
Peter Spazzapan, Roman Bosnjak, Borut Prestor, Tomaz Velnar
Peter Spazzapan, Roman Bosnjak, Borut Prestor, Tomaz Velnar, Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
Author contributions: Spazzapan P drafted the manuscript and assisted with data analysis; Velnar T participated in the design of the study, and was involved with data collection, and assisted with data analysis; Bosnjak R and Prestor B participated in oversight of the study; Spazzapan P and Velnar T participated in design of the study; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors of this manuscript having no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Tomaz Velnar, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Doctor, Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloska 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia. tvelnar@hotmail.com
Received: October 10, 2020
Peer-review started: October 10, 2020
First decision: November 26, 2020
Revised: December 4, 2020
Accepted: December 26, 2020
Article in press: December 26, 2020
Published online: February 6, 2021
Processing time: 106 Days and 13.9 Hours
Abstract

Chiari malformations encompass various radiological and clinical entities, sharing the herniation of the rhombencephalic structures through the foramen magnum as a common characteristic. They can be symptomatic or asymptomatic. The therapeutic strategies for these malformations differ on the basis of the diverse pathophysiologic processes that cause them. As Chiari malformations are caused by various pathophysiologic processes, they must be recognized promptly to select the best treatment for each single case.

Keywords: Chiari malformation; Hydrocephalus; Intracranial pressure; Craniocervical junction; Foramen magnum; Treatment

Core Tip: Chiari malformations include various radiological and clinical entities sharing the herniation of the rhombencephalic structures through the foramen magnum. Depending on the symptomatology, the therapeutic strategies differ on the basis of the underlying pathophysiological processes.