• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.258-262
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• 1999

Sacral meningeal cyst is usually asymtomatic, but may be responsible for sciatic pain syndromes and other clinical symptoms. Sacral meningeal cyst might be suspected when definite explanation for the clinical symptom, such as herniation of the intervertebral disc or spinal stenosis is not found. Plain films and CT may suggest the presence of sacral meningeal cyst, but MR is the current imaging study of choice. Evaluation of the correlation between the symptom and the cyst is as important as detection of it. We have experienced a case of sacral meningeal cyst detected during caudal epidural block. The patient complained of low back pain radiating to thigh. Plain films and lumbar spine CT showed no remarkable finding except disc bulging. During caudal epidural needle insertion, there was leakage of clear CSF, and intrasacral cystic shadow was visualized by dye injection. MR confirmed sacral meningeal cyst.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.569-573
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• 2000

Spinal meningeal cyst of the sacrum is uncommon congenital lesion. We experienced two cases of sacral meningeal cyst, so called Tarlov's cyst, who presented with radiating pain. Magnetic resonance imaging is a highly effective way of locating and approximating the size of these entities, which generally appear as intraspinal masses of low intensity on T1-weighted and high intensity on T2-weighted images, similar to cerebrospinal fluid(CSF). We evaluated 2 patients who had Tarlov's cyst diagnosed with conventional MRI. The clinical features, radiological findings, gross appearances of the lesion at surgery, surgical technique, histopathological features of the cyst wall, and surgical outcome are described. We conclude that excellent result can be expected in the case of symptomatic Tarlov's cyst by surgical decompression.