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Case Reports
. 2024 Mar;14(3):68-72.
doi: 10.13107/jocr.2024.v14.i03.4290.

Intraspinal Extradural Degenerative Cervical Cyst Treated by Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Surgical Alternative to the Posterior Approach, about One Case

Mathieu Lozouet  1   2 , Stéphane Derrey  1   2 , Elisabeth Garrido  1   2 , Mourad Ould-Slimane  2   3 , Pauline Cantogrel  2   3 , Sophie Curey  1   2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Intraspinal Extradural Degenerative Cervical Cyst Treated by Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Surgical Alternative to the Posterior Approach, about One Case

Mathieu Lozouet et al. J Orthop Case Rep. 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Introduction: Intraspinal extradural arthrosynovial cysts, which belong to the spectrum of degenerative spinal diseases are mainly located at lumbar level and their location at cervical level joint is therefore unusual. The most common surgical approach for symptomatic arthrosynovial cervical cyst remains a direct resection of the cyst by a cervical hemilaminectomy with or without a posterior arthrodesis. However, another surgical approach may also be discussed when considering the cyst as a result of a local spinal instability or hypermobility.

Case report: We report in this work the case of a patient with cervical radiculopathy due to intraspinal extradural compressive arthrosynovial cervical cyst which was treated by anterior discectomy and fusion without direct resection of the cyst. The post-operative radiological control performed at 3 months showed a complete regression of the cyst with a patient pain-free. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of intraspinal cervical degenerative cyst at C7-T1 level treated by anterior approach and fusion without direct cyst resection.

Conclusion: For the treatment of a joint spinal cervical cyst, the anterior approach is a relevant option that gives the advantages to respect the posterior cervical muscles and articular structures.

Keywords: Intraspinal cervical cyst; anterior discectomy and fusion; hemilaminectomy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: Nil

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sagittal (A) and axial (B) slices of pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging of cervical spine showing a posterior and right-lateralized intraspinal cervical cyst at C7–Th1 level inducing significant foraminal stenosis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Post-operative radiography of cervical spine after anterior discectomy and fusion at C7–Th1 level with good localization of screws, cage device, and plate. Sagittal (B) and axial (C) slices of post-operative magnetic resonance imaging of cervical spine showing complete regression of cystic formation, 3 months after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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