Chiari malformations

[Tracie Lynn]

a physical problem present from birth in which part of the brain is pushed through the opening for the spinal cord at the base of the skull, blocking the flow of fluid into the brain and spinal cord

[Julian]

Chiari malformations are structural defects in the base of the skull and cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. Normally the cerebellum and parts of the brain stem sit above an opening in the skull that allows the spinal cord to pass through it (called the foramen magnum).