Paroxysmal rage as a presenting symptom of the Chiari I malformation - Report of two cases

Signs of meningeal irritation including occipital and cervical pain are common in symptomatic children with the Chiari I malformation. The author reports on two children with Chiari I malformations who presented with a previously undescribed symptom presumably caused by intermittent meningeal irritation: paroxysmal rages. In both cases the rages stopped after decompressive surgery. Evaluation including magnetic resonance imaging should be considered in children with new onset of paroxysmal behavioral disorders.