[Acute urine retention: a rare mode of revelation of cervico-dorsal syringomyelia caused by cyproheptadine].

BACKGROUND

Syringomyelia is rare in children aged less than 10 years, and bladder dysfunction is an unlikely first manifestation. This report describes a case of repeated episodes of acute urinary retention in a young girl revealing syringomyelia and Arnold-Chiari malformation.

CASE REPORT

A 2.5 year-old girl was admitted because she was suffering from acute urinary retention. Her poor appetite had been treated with cyproheptadine, a histamine type I blocking drug. Clinical investigation revealed no local cause for this bladder dysfunction except moderate spasticity of the legs. Cystography showed no vesicoureteral reflux. Because the episodes of urinary retention recurred each day, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed; this showed the typical features of syringomyelia extending from C5 to T11 plus Arnold-Chiari malformation. The cyproheptadine was discontinued and the urinary retention disappeared.

CONCLUSION

Cyproheptadine may have revealed latent neurogenic bladder in this case, although urodynamic studies, performed 3 months later, detected no bladder dysfunction.