1998 Volume 12 Issue 1 Pages 69-74
Lumbar intraspinal ganglion cysts are relatively rare lesions. We report a case with a lumbar intraspinal ganglion cyst which was treated by surgical excision. A 64-year-old man presented with low back pain radiating to the left leg. Neurological examination on admission revealed decreased pinprick sensation below the level of left L-5 and decresed deep tendon reflex in both legs. T2-weighted image of MRI revealed a high signal intensity mass with a very low intensity rim and an extradural mass displacing the cord anteriorly and to the right. The preoperative diagnosis was that it was an extradural cyst. The mass was then resected through a hemilaminectomy. The histological diagnosis was that it was a ganglion cyst. MRI was useful for a preoperative diagnosis of lumbar intraspinal ganglion cysts. Surgery was a safe, effective treatment for patients with lumbar intraspinal ganglion cysts.
