Open AccessTarlov cyst: Case report and review of literature
Author(s) -
Bhagwat Prashad,
Anil K. Jain,
Ish Kumar Dhammi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
indian journal of orthopaedics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.434
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1998-3727
pISSN - 0019-5413
DOI - 10.4103/0019-5413.37007
Subject(s) - medicine , sciatica , laminectomy , cauda equina , cyst , surgery , nerve root , differential diagnosis , neurogenic claudication , lumbar , low back pain , asymptomatic , back pain , spinal stenosis , pathology , spinal cord , alternative medicine , psychiatry
We describe a case of sacral perineural cyst presenting with complaints of low back pain with neurological claudication. The patient was treated by laminectomy and excision of the cyst. Tarlov cysts (sacral perineural cysts) are nerve root cysts found most commonly in the sacral roots, arising between the covering layer of the perineurium and the endoneurium near the dorsal root ganglion. The incidence of Tarlov cysts is 5% and most of them are asymptomatic, usually detected as incidental findings on MRI. Symptomatic Tarlov cysts are extremely rare, commonly presenting as sacral or lumbar pain syndromes, sciatica or rarely as cauda equina syndrome. Tarlov cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with these complaints.