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| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2006 | Volume
: 54
| Issue : 1 | Page : 38--41 |
Intraspinal synovial cysts: A retrospective study
R Acharya, RV Patwardhan, DR Smith, BK Willis, M Fowler, Anil Nanda
Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
Correspondence Address:
Anil Nanda
Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport 1501 Kings Highway, PO Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932
USA
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.24700
Background: We report the clinical presentation, radiographic studies, intraoperative findings, histopathological analysis, and post-treatment outcome in 26 patients diagnosed with spinal synovial cysts (SSCs). Aims: To describe the clinical presentation, radiographic studies, operative findings, and postoperative follow-up in 26 patients with SSCs. Settings and Design: The study was retrospective in design, involving chart review. Individual patient data was tabulated and patterns were recognized. Materials and Methods: The charts for 26 patients who underwent surgical extirpation of SSC between April 1993 and October 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. Specifically, initial clinical presentation, pertinent radiographs (X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography), intraoperative findings, histopathology, and postoperative follow-up were noted. Statistical Analysis Used: Patient data was tabulated and analyzed for patterns in demographics, symptoms and histopathology. Results: SSCs were more common in females than males (17:9 ratio). Presenting symptoms were back pain with radiculopathy in 13 (50%), radicular pain in the absence of back pain in 10 (38%), and back pain without radicular pain in three (11%). In addition, 17 patients (65%) had sensory deficit, and 9 (35%) had motor deficit. Most SSCs occurred at the lumbar (19/26) or lumbosacral (5/26) regions, with only 2 (2/26) in the thoracic region. One patient had bilateral SSC at the L4-5 level. Intraoperatively, each cyst was located adjacent to a degenerated facet joint. These lesions could grossly be identified intraoperatively and histopathological confirmation was achieved in all the cases. Conclusions: SSCs are important lesions to consider in the differential diagnosis of lumbar epidural masses and surgical resection leads to significant improvement in the majority of cases.
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