CentraState - Healthy Directions

Winter 2015 Healthy Directions 10 Chiari Decompression Surgery: Relieving a Patient's Mysterious Pain and Dizziness I nitially, Nilda Lopez, a Patient Care Technician at CentraState Medical Center, attributed her episodes of dizziness to her recently diagnosed diabetes. When her symptoms grew to include a loss of feeling in her legs, neck pain and stiffness, and passing out, 42-year-old Nilda urgently sought relief from these symptoms. She turned to Mariam Ghobriel, MD, a board-certified pain management specialist and anesthesiologist with Liberty Pain Center, who is on staff at CentraState and had previously treated her for lower back pain. Nilda told Dr. Ghobriel about neck pain and headaches that had plagued her for quite awhile and of occasionally passing out. According to Dr. Ghobriel, "Nilda's not someone who complains unless it's significant. When she comes to me, it means it's really bad." When Dr. Ghobriel couldn't touch Nilda's neck without causing pain, she suspected a Chiari malformation, a structural defect in the skull where the brain meets the spinal column. A narrowing of the bony structure can cause compression of the brain in the areas controlling balance, muscle strength, even swallowing, and Nilda's complaints brought this diagnosis to mind. Although a Chiari malformation is often present at birth, it doesn't usually present problems until adolescence or adulthood, when the skull and the neck After being diagnosed with a rare condition known as a Chiari malformation, Nilda Lopez (center) has a new lease on life with the aid of Dr. Mark R. McLaughlin (left) and Dr. Mariam Ghobriel (right).

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