Immediate postoperative resolution of syrinx post-C1/C2 fixation in an operated case of foramen magnum decompression for Chiari malformation: Is Goel's procedure a rescue surgery or a gold standard?

Chiari malformation (CM) is a common neurological disorder with foramen magnum decompression (FMD) as a commonly accepted treatment. The authors present a case of CM-1 wherein there was no radiological instability preoperatively and FMD was done as a treatment, after which the patient improved transiently only to deteriorate further. Atlantoaxial fixation was done as a second-stage procedure, after which the patient improved clinically and radiologically. The knowledge of this case and surgical entity should be borne in mind before the formulation of a treatment plan. It is important that the solution is to identify and treat the underlying pathology rather than to decompress and directly manipulate the tonsils.