Solitary cervical neurenteric cyst in an adolescent patient

Conservative management of recurrent enterogenous cysts of the cervical spine: A case report

Enterogenous cysts are rare benign congenital tumours of the central nervous system. The aim of management is complete resection to minimise the chance of recurrence. To date, management of recurrence has favoured further surgical resection. We describe the case of a recurrent enterogenous cyst of the cervical spine, initially treated with decompression via laminectomy and fenestration. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) follow up has demonstrated spontaneous recurrence and deflation of the cyst on multiple occasions. We propose that conservative management of recurrent enterogenous cysts may be a valid management option following fenestration or partial resection of the cyst, and that recurrence may not always warrant further surgical intervention.

Coexistent neck enteric cyst and intraspinal neurenteric cyst: embryopathogenetic implications

INTRODUCTION

Enteric cysts are very rare conditions, occurring mainly in the posterior mediastinum and posterior neck. Their pathomorphology corresponds with that of intraspinal neurenteric cysts. Both formations are derivatives of the posterior foregut. However, their embryopathogenesis has not been elucidated satisfactorily as yet. For those associated with vertebral anomalies, the split notochord theory has been widely accepted. However, this is be hardly conceivable for cases free of these anomalies.

CASE REPORT

Here, a patient with concurrent separated enteric and neurenteric cysts and cervical spine dysmorphism is presented.

DISCUSSION

The review of the relevant literature revealed sporadic analogical cases in which a transvertebral communication between the two cysts was present or absent. The latter was associated with a minimal abnormality of the vertebral body.

CONCLUSION

The authors suggest that normal vertebrae may be formed in patients with enteric cysts, which would make the notochord-split theory plausible also for those free of spinal malformations.

Diagnostic Dilemma in Discriminating Between Spinal Neurenteric Cysts and Simple Arachnoid Cysts Based on Embryogenesis and Surgical Correlation

BACKGROUND

Neurenteric cyst (NEC) is a rare intradural spinal tumor, but a correct preoperative diagnosis remains challenging. A misdiagnosis of arachnoid cyst (AC) often leads to conflicting surgical management and significantly higher recurrence.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We report the case of a 26-year-old woman who presented with progressive spastic quadriparesis with myelopathy below the C4 level, which was caused by a ventral intradural extramedullary cystic tumor at the C3-4 level. Magnetic resonance images showed the cystic content as identical to cerebrospinal fluid, which prompted the tentative diagnosis of spinal AC. Surgical fenestration was scheduled. However, intraoperative findings of a thick-walled cyst and severe adhesion to the neural structure without a history of trauma and inflammation were more compatible with the pathogenesis of an NEC. Because of the high recurrence rate after an incomplete resection of an NEC, we did a complete resection of the cyst with adhesive rootlets instead. Pathology analysis and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the diagnosis of an endodermal-derived NEC.

CONCLUSIONS

NECs must be differentiated from ACs because they are different diseases and require different surgical management. In cases with clear cystic content, however, the diagnosis is likely to be AC, but a thick cystic wall and structural adhesions should suggest the differential diagnosis of NEC. Gross total removal of NECs should be attempted to reduce NEC recurrence.

A Recurrent Cervical Neurenteric Cyst Treated Anteriorly: Safe, Gross-Total Excision Facilitated by Prophylactic Unilateral Vertebral Artery Exposure, Microdissection, and Spinal Cord Monitoring-A Case Report and Technical Note

This study reports on a 67-year-old woman with partial Brown-Séquard syndrome due to a recurrent cervical neurenteric cyst at C3 to C4. The myelopathic symptoms reappeared 22 years after a previous shunting operation performed posteriorly with a silicone tube connecting the intradural cervical cyst cavity to the subarachnoid space. We have now succeeded in removing the cyst nearly completely with the anterior approach. The surgical procedure consisted of right vertebral artery exposure at C3 and C4 and a subtotal corpectomy of C3 followed by microdissection of the cyst, duraplasty, and iliac strut graft fusion. Spinal cord monitoring with motor-evoked potential studies helped us safely dissect the cyst wall tightly adhering to the spinal cord. Duraplasty with Gore-Tex patch-grafting in conjunction with postoperative lumbar subarachnoid drainage worked well in preventing a spinal fluid fistula. At two years after surgery, the patient showed a nearly complete return of function without any recurrence of the cyst.

Recurrent cervicodorsal spinal intradural enterogenous cyst: case report and literature review

This report described a recurrent enterogenous cyst of the cervicodorsal spinal canal occurred in an 8-year-old boy who experienced cervical back pain at the age of 5. He had been operated for mass lesion at the same level 3 years ago. The cervical and thoracic spine MRI showed a large intradural cyst at C7-T1. The cyst was subtotally removed via posterior approach using a laminectomy. Based on the results of immunostaining, it was identified as an enterogenous cyst. A literature review related to spinal cyst is also included.