Apnoeic episodes in a patient with Chiari type I malformation.

There can be a wide variety of symptoms in these patients, including headache, weakness, numbness of the limbs, unsteadiness and loss of balance.2 A variety of respiratory disorders have been described including acute respiratory failure,2 respiratory arrest I and sleep apnoea.' It is extremely unusual for a patient with the condition to have no abnormal neurological signs on presentation, ifapnoeic problems are a feature.