{"id":548,"date":"2012-05-14T18:45:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-14T22:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/med-neurosurgery.sites.unc.edu\/services\/pedsneuro\/conditions\/chiari-malformations\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T13:35:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T18:35:34","slug":"chiari-malformations-treatment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiari Malformation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chiari malformation is a condition involving the posterior portions of the brain, brainstem, and the skull. Patients with a Chiari malformation have brain tissue that extends into the spinal canal, which can obstruct cerebral spinal fluid and can cause damage to the brain or spinal cord. Chiari malformations can be associated with other neurological conditions or appear on their own. For most patients, it is present at birth but is discovered in childhood or adulthood.<\/p>\n

Sometimes a mild Chiari malformation is diagnosed on MRI imaging, however, it is typically an incidental finding that does cause symptoms or need treatment. In more significant Chiari malformations, some children do not have any symptoms while other children experience headaches, dizziness, numbness, trouble swallowing, and other symptoms. If your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms on a regular basis, it is important to consult with your child\u2019s pediatrician.<\/p>\n

Additional medical complications that can be associated with a Chiari malformation include pediatric hydrocephalus<\/a>, spina bifida<\/a>, syringomyelia, and tethered spinal cord<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Finding a Chiari malformation on MRI is very common, and not all patients require surgery. UNC pediatric neurosurgery works closely with pediatricians and specialists to diagnose Chiari malformations and then develop a treatment plan which bests treats each individual child. Our surgeons uniquely work to reduce synthetic implants and perform minimally invasive procedures in order to reduce complications and need for future surgery.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Illustration by Xian Boles, CMI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chiari Malformation Treatment<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For children with severe symptoms or advanced findings on MRI, surgical treatment can provide relief and stop further damage to the brain or spine.<\/p>\n

Chiari decompression\/posterior fossa decompression surgery is performed by our fellowship trained pediatric neurosurgeons to help relive pressure on the brain and spinal cord caused by the Chiari malformation. Many pediatric patients who undergo surgery for a Chiari malformation find significant relief from their symptoms. Talk with your pediatric neurosurgeon to find out if surgery is the right treatment option for your child.<\/p>\n

\n

We offer pediatric neurosurgery clinics in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Wilmington. Visit our\u00a0pediatric neurosurgery clinic locations<\/a><\/u>\u00a0page for the clinic or hospital nearest you or call\u00a0984-974-4175<\/u>\u00a0to schedule an appointment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chiari malformation is a condition involving the posterior portions of the brain, brainstem, and the skull. Patients with a Chiari malformation have brain tissue that extends into the spinal canal, which can obstruct cerebral spinal fluid and can cause damage to the brain or spinal cord. Chiari malformations can be associated with other neurological conditions … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76119,"featured_media":0,"parent":87,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-548","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChiari Malformation | Department of Neurosurgery<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Chiari malformation treatment offered by our pediatric neurosurgeons helps to relieve pressure and symptoms caused by a Chiari malformation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chiari Malformation | Department of Neurosurgery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chiari malformation treatment offered by our pediatric neurosurgeons helps to relieve pressure and symptoms caused by a Chiari malformation.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Department of Neurosurgery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UNCneurosurgery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-14T18:35:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/460\/2025\/11\/ChiariMalformation.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1510\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UNCneurosurgery\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/\",\"name\":\"Chiari Malformation | Department of Neurosurgery\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/460\/2025\/11\/ChiariMalformation.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-05-14T22:45:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-14T18:35:34+00:00\",\"description\":\"Chiari malformation treatment offered by our pediatric neurosurgeons helps to relieve pressure and symptoms caused by a Chiari malformation.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/460\/2025\/11\/ChiariMalformation.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/460\/2025\/11\/ChiariMalformation.jpg\",\"width\":1510,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Illustration by Xian Boles, CMI\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Services\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Pediatric Neurosurgery\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Chiari Malformation\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/\",\"name\":\"Department of Neurosurgery\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Chiari Malformation | Department of Neurosurgery","description":"Chiari malformation treatment offered by our pediatric neurosurgeons helps to relieve pressure and symptoms caused by a Chiari malformation.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Chiari Malformation | Department of Neurosurgery","og_description":"Chiari malformation treatment offered by our pediatric neurosurgeons helps to relieve pressure and symptoms caused by a Chiari malformation.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/","og_site_name":"Department of Neurosurgery","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UNCneurosurgery\/","article_modified_time":"2025-11-14T18:35:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1510,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/460\/2025\/11\/ChiariMalformation.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@UNCneurosurgery","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/","url":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/","name":"Chiari Malformation | Department of Neurosurgery","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/460\/2025\/11\/ChiariMalformation.jpg","datePublished":"2012-05-14T22:45:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-14T18:35:34+00:00","description":"Chiari malformation treatment offered by our pediatric neurosurgeons helps to relieve pressure and symptoms caused by a Chiari malformation.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/460\/2025\/11\/ChiariMalformation.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/460\/2025\/11\/ChiariMalformation.jpg","width":1510,"height":1080,"caption":"Illustration by Xian Boles, CMI"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/chiari-malformations-treatment\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Services","item":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Pediatric Neurosurgery","item":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/services\/pedsneuro\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Chiari Malformation"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/","name":"Department of Neurosurgery","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76119"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=548"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11376,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/548\/revisions\/11376"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/87"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurosurgery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}