THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY SIPTROTH, BAKER, BELFANTI, BEYER, BISHOP, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER, COHEN, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, DELOZIER, DENLINGER, DONATUCCI, FLECK, FRANKEL, GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KOTIK, MAHONEY, McCALL, MELIO, MICOZZIE, MOUL, MURT, MUSTIO, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, QUINN, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROSS, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, K. SMITH, SWANGER, VULAKOVICH, WALKO AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 3, 2009

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MARCH 3, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing September 2009 as "Chiari Malformation Month."

WHEREAS, Chiari malformation, as recognized by the National

Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, includes a

complex group of disorders characterized by herniation of the

cerebellum; and

WHEREAS, The herniated tissue blocks the circulation of

cerebrospinal fluid in the brain which can lead to the formation

of a cavity within the spinal cord; and

WHEREAS, Symptoms of Type I Chiari malformation include

severe headache, dizziness, vertigo, disequilibrium, visual

disturbances, difficulty swallowing, heart palpitations, sleep

apnea, impaired fine motor skills, chronic fatigue and painful

tingling of the hands and feet; and

WHEREAS, Because of the complex symptomology, patients with

Type I Chiari malformation are frequently misdiagnosed; and

WHEREAS, Type II Chiari malformation, also called Arnold-

Chiari malformation, is usually accompanied by a

myelomeningocele, a form of spina bifida that occurs when the

spinal canal and the backbone do not close before birth, causing

the spinal cord to protrude through an opening in the back,

which can result in partial or complete paralysis below the

spinal opening; and

WHEREAS, Type III Chiari malformation, the most serious form,

results in severe and often irreversible neurological defects;

and

WHEREAS, Treatment for this disorder is not a certain and

definitive path, and medication may ease certain symptoms such

as pain, but often surgery is the only treatment available to

correct functional disturbances or halt the progression of

damage to the central nervous system; and

WHEREAS, Until recently, Chiari malformation was regarded as

a rare condition, but with the increased use of magnetic

resonance imaging, the number of reported cases has risen from

200,000 to 2 million Americans; and

WHEREAS, New genetic studies support a hereditary tendency

with a transmissibility rate of 12%; and

WHEREAS, The studies also found that women are three times

more likely to be afflicted by the debilitating disorder than

men; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the

month of September 2009 as "Chiari Malformation Month" and help

promote advocacy for this important cause.