Bill Text: PA HR370 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Recognizing September 2011 as "Chiari Malformation Awareness Month."

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 29-16)

Status: (Passed) 2011-09-27 - Adopted (199-0) [HR370 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HR370-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 2317
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 370 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY MICCARELLI, BAKER, BARRAR, BRADFORD, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, D. COSTA, CUTLER, DALEY, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FLECK, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GILLEN, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, HARKINS, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, KILLION, KORTZ, KULA, MAJOR, MARSICO, MILLARD, MILNE, MURT, MUSTIO, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROCK, ROSS, SCAVELLO, SWANGER, THOMAS, VEREB AND VULAKOVICH, AUGUST 22, 2011
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, AUGUST 22, 2011
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing September 2011 as "Chiari Malformation Awareness
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
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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 2011 as "Chiari Malformation Awareness Month"
and help promote advocacy for this important cause.
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