Arachnoiditis

Important
It is possible that the main title of the report Arachnoiditis is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.

Synonyms

Arachnitis
Cerebral Arachnoiditis
Chronic Adhesive Arachnoiditis
Serous Circumscribed Meningitis
Spinal Arachnoiditis

Disorder Subdivisions

Adhesive Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis Ossificans
Spinal Ossifying Arachnoiditis
Neoplastic Arachnoiditis
Optochiasmatic Arachnoiditis
Postmyelographic Arachnoiditis
Rhinosinusogenic Cerebral Arachnoiditis

General Discussion

Arachnoiditis is a general term for several progressive regional disorders all of which result in the inflammation of parts of the middle membrane surrounding the spinal cord and brain (arachnoid membrane) and the space defined by this membrane (subarachnoid space). Either the spinal cord or the brain may be involved; in some cases, both are affected. This disorder can also be associated with meningitis. The condition may be caused by foreign agents such as anesthesia drugs or testing dyes injected into the spine or arachnoid membrane.

Since the subarachnoid space is continuous, it would be expected that a noxious agent introduced in one place would distribute itself throughout the space. However, such is not the case. The lower spinal roots and/or the spinal cord may be affected, while regions close by remain free of inflammation; hence, the term "spinal arachnoiditis". Similarly, the optic nerve and optic chiasm (crossing of nerve fibers) may be affected, giving rise to the term "opticochiasmatic arachnoiditis".

Resources

American Syringomyelia Alliance Project, Inc. (ASAP)
300 N. Green Street, Suite 412
Longview, TX 75601
Tel: (903)236-7079
Fax: (903)757-7456
Tel: (800)272-7282
Email: info@asap.org
Internet: http://www.asap.org

Spinal Cord Society
19051 County Hwy. 1
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
USA
Tel: 2187395252
Fax: 2187395262
Internet: http://users.aol.com/scsweb

American Paraplegia Society
75-20 Astoria Boulevard
Jackson Heights, NY 11370-1177
USA
Tel: 7188033782
Fax: 7188030414
Email: aps@UnitedSpinal.ORG
Internet: http://www.apssci.org

National Spinal Cord Injury Association
6701 Democracy
Suite 300-9
Bethesda, MD 20817
USA
Tel: 3012144006
Fax: 3018819817
Tel: 8009629629
Email: info@spinalcord.org
Internet: http://www.spinalcord.org

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
31 Center Drive
8A07
Bethesda, MD 20892-2540
Tel: (301)496-5751
Fax: (301)402-2186
Tel: (800)352-9424
Email: braininfo@ninds.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/

Canadian Syringomyelia Network
69 Penny Crescent
Markham
Ontario, L3P 5X7
Canada
Tel: 9054718278
Fax: 9059444844
Email: barb@csn.ca
Internet: http://www.csn.ca

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.
It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report.
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.
For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org
Last Updated: 2/7/2000
Copyright 1988, 1990, 2000 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.

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