**Core Concept**
The patient's symptoms of impaired pain and temperature sensation in the arms, with normal light touch, suggest involvement of the spinothalamic tracts. Syringomyelia, a condition characterized by the dilatation of the central part of the spinal cord, typically affects the cervical region and involves the anterior horn cells, spinothalamic tracts, and the central canal.

**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
The spinothalamic tracts are responsible for transmitting pain and temperature sensation from the body to the thalamus. Damage to these tracts, such as in syringomyelia, results in the loss of pain and temperature sensation in the affected area. The involvement of the anterior horn cells leads to weakness and wasting of the muscles, commonly seen in the hands. The central canal, which is part of the spinal cord, becomes dilated, resulting in the formation of a syrinx.

**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** This option might be tempting, but it is not directly related to the patient's symptoms. The patient's impaired pain and temperature sensation in the arms, with normal light touch, is specific to the spinothalamic tracts.
**Option B:** While muscle wasting can be a feature of syringomyelia, it is not the most specific finding associated with this condition.
**Option C:** This option is incorrect because the patient's symptoms are due to damage to the spinothalamic tracts, not the posterior columns.
**Option D:** This option is not directly related to the patient's symptoms and is more commonly associated with conditions affecting the peripheral nervous system.

**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
Syringomyelia is often associated with a "cape-like" distribution of sensory loss, which is a characteristic feature of this condition. This distribution of sensory loss is due to the involvement of the spinothalamic tracts and can help differentiate syringomyelia from other conditions that affect the spinal cord.

**Correct Answer:** C.