Extradural Spinal Arachnoid Cysts

A 14-year-old boy with multiple spinal arachnoid cysts and paraplegia, and 37 similar cases in the literature are reviewed by neurosurgeons and radiologist at Univ of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The patient presented with a 4-month history of progressive leg weakness and loss of sensation, clumsiness, and frequent falls. Neurologic exam showed hypoesthesia at T-9 and below, weakness of lower extremities, hyperreflexia, ankle clonus, and Babinski reflexes. MR revealed dorsal compression of the thecal sac with 4 archnoid cysts extending from T-l to T-9. At surgical dissection and removal, the cyst walls were thickened dura, and the fluid communicated with the CSF. One-year follow-up found no recurrence of cysts and normal ambulation. [1]