Perineural cysts are common and usually detected incidentally during magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbosacral spine. Treatment is indicated only when the cyst is symptomatic. We report one such patients presented with cauda equina syndrome and another with low back pain with claudication. They underwent excision and duraplasty; both motor and sensory fibres were carefully separated from the cyst wall using a nerve root retractor and penfield. There was no nerve root damage or neural deficit. Symptoms were relieved postoperatively.
TarlovIM. Perineurial cysts of the spinal nerve roots. Arch Neurol Psychiatry1938;40:1067–74.
2.
PaulsenRDCallGAMurtaghFR. Prevalence and percutaneous drainage of cysts of the sacral nerve root sheath (Tarlov cysts). AJNR Am J Neuroradiol1994;15:293–9.
3.
TarlovIM. Cysts, perineurial, of the sacral roots; another cause, removable, of sciatic pain. J Am Med Assoc1948;138:740–4.
4.
BartelsRHvan OverbeekeJJ. Lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage for symptomatic sacral nerve root cysts: An adjuvant diagnostic procedure and/or alternative treatment? Technical case report. Neurosurgery1997;40:861–5.
5.
PatelMRLouieWRachlinJ. Percutaneous fibrin glue therapy of meningeal cysts of the sacral spine. AJR Am J Roentgenol1997;168:367–70.
6.
MorioYNanjoYNagashimaHMinamizakiTTeshimaR. Sacral cyst managed with cyst-subarachnoid shunt: A technical case report. Spine (Phila Pa 1976)2001;26:451–3.
7.
CasparWPapaveroLNabhanALoewCAhlhelmF. Microsurgical excision of symptomatic sacral perineurial cysts: A study of 15 cases. Surg Neurol2003;59:101–6.
8.
LangdownAJGrundyJRBirchNC. The clinical relevance of Tarlov cysts. J Spinal Disord Tech2005;18:29–33.
9.
TarlovIM. Spinal perineurial and meningeal cysts. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry1970;33:833–43.
10.
SiqueiraEBSchafferLKranzlerLIGanJ. CT characteristics of sacral perineural cysts. Report of two cases. J Neurosurg1984;61:596–8.
11.
VoyadzisJMBhargavaPHendersonFC. Tarlov cysts: A study of 10 cases with review of the literature. J Neurosurg2001;95(1 Suppl):S25–32.
12.
TarlovIM. Cysts of the sacral nerve roots; clinical significance and pathogenesis. AMA Arch Neurol Psychiatry1952;68:94–108.
13.
MummaneniPVPittsLHMcCormackBMCorrooJMWeinsteinPR. Microsurgical treatment of symptomatic sacral Tarlov cysts. Neurosurgery2000;47:74–9.
14.
StrullyKJHeiserS. Lumbar and sacral cysts of meningeal origin. Radiology1954;62:544–9.
15.
YucesoyKNaderiSOzerHArdaMN. Surgical treatment of sacral perineural cysts. A case report. Kobe J Med Sci1999;45:245–50.
16.
NaborsMWPaitTGByrdEBKarimNODavisDOKobrineAI. Updated assessment and current classification of spinal meningeal cysts. J Neurosurg1988;68:366–77.
17.
IshiiKYuzuriharaMAsamotoSDoiHKubotaM. A huge presacral Tarlov cyst. Case report. J Neurosurg Spine2007;7:259–63.
