Advanced Imaging of Chiari 1 Malformations.

Type I Chiari malformations are congenital deformities involving cerebellar tonsillar herniation downward through the foramen magnum. Structurally, greater than 5 mm of tonsillar descent in adults and more than 6 mm in children is consistent with type I Chiari malformations. However, the radiographic severity of the tonsillar descent does not always correlate well with the clinical symptomatology. Advanced imaging can help clinically correlate imaging to symptoms. Specifically, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow abnormalities are seen in patients with type I Chiari malformation. Advanced MRI involving cardiac-gated and phase-contrast MRI affords a view of such CSF flow abnormalities.