open access
Symptomatic ganglion cyst of ligamentum flavum as a late complication of lumbar fixation
Affiliations- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome and Latina, Italy
- Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome and Latina, Italy
open access
Abstract
We report the case of a 72-year-old man who underwent surgery for a mobile spondylolisthesis L4-L5. Six months later, magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extradural cyst of the ligamentum flavum at L5-S1, which was then removed. Histological examination revealed a ganglion cyst of the ligamentum flavum. Cyst formation could be explained primarily according to the natural history of chronic degenerative disease of spine elements. Nevertheless, we could also consider the cyst formation as demonstrative of an adjacent segment syndrome: hypermobility of the L5-S1 segment just below three fixed vertebral segments would have triggered the mechanical stress necessary for L5-S1 ligamentum flavum degeneration.
Abstract
We report the case of a 72-year-old man who underwent surgery for a mobile spondylolisthesis L4-L5. Six months later, magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extradural cyst of the ligamentum flavum at L5-S1, which was then removed. Histological examination revealed a ganglion cyst of the ligamentum flavum. Cyst formation could be explained primarily according to the natural history of chronic degenerative disease of spine elements. Nevertheless, we could also consider the cyst formation as demonstrative of an adjacent segment syndrome: hypermobility of the L5-S1 segment just below three fixed vertebral segments would have triggered the mechanical stress necessary for L5-S1 ligamentum flavum degeneration.
Keywords
ligamentum flavum, ganglion cyst, lumbar fixation, adjacent segment syndrome
About this articleTitle
Symptomatic ganglion cyst of ligamentum flavum as a late complication of lumbar fixation
Journal
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska
Issue
Pages
82-86
Page views
481
Article views/downloads
476
DOI
10.5114/ninp.2012.27344
Bibliographic record
Neurol Neurochir Pol 2012;46(1):82-86.
Keywords
ligamentum flavum
ganglion cyst
lumbar fixation
adjacent segment syndrome
Authors
Massimo Miscusi
Vincenzo Petrozza
Filippo Maria Polli
Stefano Forcato
Carlo Della Rocca
Antonino Raco
