• Igor Paredes, Pablo M Munarriz, Oscar Toldos, Ana María Castaño-León, Irene Panero, Carla Eiriz, Daniel García-Pérez, Angel Pérez-Núñez, Alfonso Lagares, and Alen José Antonio F JAF Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain..
• Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: igorparedes@gmail.com.
• World Neurosurg. 2020 Mar 1; 135: 87-95.

BackgroundSpinal arachnoid cysts are a rare cause of compressive myelopathy. Spinal extradural arachnoid cysts (SEACs) are even rarer.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the SEACs operated on in our hospital between 2015 and 2019, according to their clinical and radiologic findings, treatments performed, and outcomes.ResultsWe identified 5 cases (2 males and 3 females), ranging in age from 21 months to 78 years. Except for the pediatric case, all patients presented with pain and 3 had some grade of neurologic impairment. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging showed multiloculated cyst in 4 cases, and the communication with the dura was properly identified in only 1 case. The patients were operated through a laminectomy or laminoplasty and total removal of the cyst, and the communication with the dura was identified and repaired in all cases. In all cases, the defect was near the exit of a nerve root, and rootlets were seen through it, producing a ball-like valve mechanism. Histology of the cyst wall showed true dura in every case. One patient needed a reoperation for evacuation of a fluid collection (related to the dural sealant). Following Odom's criteria, 3 patients had an excellent outcome and 2 had a fair outcome.ConclusionsTotal excision of a symptomatic SEAC through either laminectomy or laminoplasty is a safe and effective treatment option. Although isolated repair of the dural communication without cyst removal may seem appealing, we have found it very difficult to identify the point of communication preoperatively.Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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