Solitary Cervical Neurenteric Cyst in an Adolescent Patient

Abstract

Spinal neurenteric cysts are uncommon congenital lesions, furthermore solitary neurenteric cysts of the upper cervical spine are very rare. A 15-year-old boy having an intraspinal neurenteric cyst located at cervical spine presented with symptoms of neck pain and both shoulders pain for 2 months. Cervical spine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging demonstrated an intradural extramedullary cystic mass at the C1-3 level without enhancement after gadolinium injection. There was no associated malformation on the MR imaging, computed tomography, and radiography. Hemilaminectomy at the C1-3 levels was performed and the lesion was completely removed through a posterior approach. Histological examination showed the cystic wall lined with ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium containing mucinous contents. Neurenteric cyst should be considered in the diagnosis of spinal solitary cystic mass.

A Recurrent Cervical Neurenteric Cyst Treated Anteriorly: Safe, Gross-Total Excision Facilitated by Prophylactic Unilateral Vertebral Artery Exposure, Microdissection, and Spinal Cord Monitoring—A Case Report and Technical Note

“…As reported previously [1, 8, 9], approximately 90% of SNCs are intradural extramedullary in location and fewer than 5% intramedullary. The majority of these cysts are located ventrally to the spinal cord with approximately 50% of them found in the cervical spine.…”

“…The cysts tend to be located ventrally to the spinal cord in the cervical and thoracic regions [1]. Surgical approach to these lesions can be achieved either anteriorly or posteriorly [2].…”

Coexistent neck enteric cyst and intraspinal neurenteric cyst: Embryopathogenetic implications

“…The embryopathogenesis of these cysts has not been elucidated satisfactorily as yet and various theories have been postulated 1,3 . Frequent (40-70%) coexistence with spinal anomalies and persistent attachment to the vertebral column suggests that the split notochord theory is at work in the formation of these anomalies 12,13 . However, this theory fails in cases devoid of split notochord syndrome consisting of vertebral malformation associated with central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract anomalies.…”

Intracranial Neurenteric Cyst in a Patient with Acute Unilateral Thalamic Infarction

“…Most are found in the posterior fossa, although rare supratentorial cysts have been described. We report a case of intracranial neurenteric cyst without other associated malformations, which was detected accidentally by diagnostic imaging in the context of cerebral infarction [1,2] .…”