Similar articles

Abstract: Congenital spinal intradural arachnoid cyst associated with intrathoracic meningocele is very rare. We report a case in a 9-year-old Chinese boy who presented with a two-week history of progressive paraparesis and gait ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed that a dorsal intradural extramedullary cystic lesion extended from T1 to T5 and compressed the spinal cord. A left lateral intrathoracic meningocele pouch was found incidentally at the level of T1. The arachnoid cyst as well as meningocele was removed and the spinal cord compression was relieved. Arachnoid cyst was confirmed by histological examination. The patient recovered well postoperatively. This is the second report of such a case in the world according to the available literature. The take-home message for our case is that the surgical approach should be individualized, depending on the size and location.

[1]Alvisi, C., Cerisoli, M., Giulioni, M., Guerra, L., 1987. Long-term results of surgically treated congenital intradural spinal arachnoid cysts. Journal of Neurosurgery, 67(3):333-335.

[2]Bassiouni, H., Hunoid, A., Asgari, S., Hubschen, U., Konig, H.J., Stokle, D., 2004. Spinal intradural juxtamedullary cysts in the adult: surgical management and outcome. Neurosurgery, 55(6):1352-1360.

[3]Baysefer, A., Lzci, Y., Erdogan, E., 2001. Lateral intrathoracic meningocele associated with a spinal intradural arachnoid cyst. Pediatric Neurosurgery, 35(2):107-110.

[4]Chee, P.C., 1989. Lateral thoracic meningocele associated with neurofibromatosis: total excision by posterolateral extradural approach. A case report. Spine, 14(1):129-131.

[5]de Andrade, G.C., Braga, O.P., Hisatugo, M.K., de Paiva, N.M., Succi, E., Braqa, F.M., 2003. Giant intrathoracic meningoceles associated with cutaneous neurofibromatosis type 1: case report. Arquivos de Neuro-psiquiatria, 61(3A):677-681.

[6]Ebara, S., Yuzawa, Y., Kinoshita, T., Takahashi, J., Nakamura, I., Hirabayashi, H., Kitahara, J., Yamada, M., Takaoka, K., 2003. A neurofibromatosis type 1 patient with severe kyphoscoliosis and intrathoracic meningocele. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 10(2):268-272.

[7]Jea, A., Navarro, R., Green, B.A., 2005. Rapid expansion of a ventral arachnoid cyst after syringo-subarachnoid shunting in the thoracic spinal cord: case report. Surgical Neurology, 64(1):86-89.

[8]Lee, H.J., Cho, D.Y., 2001. Symptomatic spinal intradural arachnoid cysts in the pediatric age group: description of three new cases and review of the literature. Pediatric Neurosurgery, 35(4):181-187.

[9]Osenbach, R.K., Godersky, J.C., Traynelis, V.C., Schelper, R.D., 1992. Intradural extramedullary cysts of the spinal canal: clinical presentation, radiographic diagnosis and surgical management. Neurosurgery, 30(1):35-42.

[10]Rabb, C.H., McMomb, J.G., Raffel, C., Kennedy, J.G., 1992. Spinal arachnoid cysts in the pediatric age group: an association with neural tube defects. Journal of Neurosurgery, 77(3):369-372.

[11]Wang, M.Y., Levi, A.D., Green, B.A., 2003. Intradural spinal arachnoid cysts in adult. Surgical Neurology, 60(1):49-56.

[12]Zamponi, C., Cervoni, L., Caruso, R., 1996. Large intrathoracic meningocele in a patient with neurofibromatosis: case report. Neurosurgical Review, 19(4):275-277.