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Cervical and thoracic juxtafacet cysts causing neurologic deficits
M A Stoodley1, N R Jones, G Scott
1Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia.
Spine
|April 18, 2000
Summary
Juxtafacet cysts are rare spinal lesions. Surgical excision offers excellent outcomes for patients experiencing myelopathy or radiculopathy, even with incomplete cyst removal.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Spinal Surgery
- Neurology
Background:
- Juxtafacet cysts are rare spinal tumors, with limited reported cases in the cervical and thoracic regions.
- Cervical cysts often arise from the cruciate ligament, potentially causing myelopathy, while thoracic cysts typically present with myelopathy.
Observation:
- A review of intraspinal juxtafacet cysts identified eight cases, with six in the lumbar spine.
- One patient presented with cervical juxtafacet cyst causing unilateral radiculopathy, and another with a thoracic cyst leading to myelopathy.
Findings:
- Surgical excision of juxtafacet cysts, even without complete dural resection, resulted in symptom and neurological sign improvement in both cases.
- Cervical and thoracic juxtafacet cysts, though rare, are usually indicated by myelopathy.
Implications:
- Surgical intervention for juxtafacet cysts yields excellent results, highlighting the efficacy of treatment even with non-radical excision.
- These findings underscore the importance of considering juxtafacet cysts in the differential diagnosis for patients with myelopathy or radiculopathy.