Occult intrasacral meningocele with tethered cord--case report

Abstract

A 32-year-old female presented with a history of intermittent, severe lower back pain, exacerbated by pregnancy and persisting for several years. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed a sacral mass as a low signal intensity area on the T1-weighted image and a high signal intensity area on the T2-weighted image, consistent with a cystic structure containing cerebrospinal fluid. A tethered cord attached to the thecal sac was also confirmed. Sacral laminectomy revealed thinned sacral vertebral laminae, but no neuronal elements existed within the cyst. The cyst was attached to the distal thecal sac by a small fistula. The thecal sac was explored, revealing a thick filum terminale, which was transected. The severe pain resolved postoperatively. This type of meningeal cyst, often called "occult intrasacral meningocele," is best diagnosed by MR imaging. Surgery to obliterate the fistulous tract is the optimum treatment. Total removal of the cyst is unnecessary, but evaluation of other associated congenial abnormalities is important.