Enterogenous cysts of the central nervous system: a report of eight cases

The clinical and radiological features of eight patients, five male and three female; with an enterogenous cyst of the central nervous system are reported. The cysts were all anteriorly placed, intradural or extramedullary in situation and their sites ranged from the brain stem to the conus, with a predilection for the lower cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord. Pain was a universal presenting symptom of the intraspinal cases with a varying degree of motor deficit. Three patients, two of whom also had congenital anomalies of the axial skeleton, showed localised expansion of the spinal canal. The site and size of all the spinal cysts were demonstrated by myelography. Computed tomography of the spine with intrathecal contrast medium was performed on two patients and shown to be of particular value in demonstrating recurrence. Three patients on long-term follow-up had a recurrence of the cyst at the original site. Our findings are discussed with reference to the previous literature.