According to the Chiari and Syringomyelia Foundation, an MRI should be used to properly diagnose CM. A special test called a cine-MRI can also be performed to improve the certainty of diagnosis. Due to a recent increase in MRI imaging, some medical professionals have speculated that CM may actually be more common than originally thought. However, it is hard to know exactly how common because some children do not exhibit signs until adolescence. While CM occurs more often in women than men, type 2 is more prevalent in certain groups, especially people of Celtic descent, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
