• Amar Anand, Thomas J Pfiffner, and Laszlo Mechtler.
• DENT Neurologic Institute, 3980 Sheridan Dr, Buffalo, NY, 14226, USA. dr.amaranand@gmail.com.
• Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2018 Aug 25; 22 (10): 70.

Purpose Of ReviewThe purpose of this review is to give a better understanding of the pathogenesis of cystic formations of the mobile spine (CYFMOS) and the correlating imaging findings. This would help with medical decision-making, given the plethora of conservative, interventional, and surgical treatment options.Recent FindingsThere has been a general understanding that CYFMOS are associated with degenerative spine changes. More recent articles however have suggested that identifying detailed imaging characteristics can assist in determining outcomes when CYFMOS are treated with interventional percutaneous methods or surgical decompression with or without concomitant fusion. CYFMOS although uncommon are not a rare finding seen in the spine when there is a background of degenerative spine changes. These cystic lesions are generally symptomatic by exhibiting mass effect on adjacent structure. Most treatments are aimed at decompression by interventional percutaneous or surgical means. Various imaging characteristics of these CYFMOS described in this article including their signal intensity, presence of spinal instability, particular patterns of adjacent degenerative changes, and imaging changes following interventional treatments can help guide physicians when managing these cases.

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