Affiliations: Department of Neurosurgery, Haseki Training and
Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
Note: [] Correspondence: Kadir Kotil, M.D., Haseki Training and Research
Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery Aksaray/İstanbul, Turkey. Tel: +90
212 530 60 38, fax: +90 212 589 62 29. E-mail: kadirkotil@superonline.com
Abstract: Spinal arachnoid cysts are relatively uncommon, they may be either
intra- or extradural, among them the intradural spinal arachnoid cysts are less
common. The authors report a patient with this rare lesion, in whom an anterior
spinal intradural arachnoid cyst was associated with thoracic split cord
malformation type I (diastematomyelia) and tethering of cord. The cyst was
located anterior to the thoracic spinal cord. Our patient was an 8-year-old
child who presented with progressive paraparesia. The presence of an intradural
anterior arachnoid cyst was detected on magnetic resonance imaging. Surgical
treatment was performed on all three lesions during the same sitting. Complete
surgical excision of the cyst was the best choice of treatment with
simultaneous treatment of the associated anomalies. The most important
advantage of handling all three distinct lesions in one sitting, is that he was
operated during a single exposure anaesthesia, which remains an important
consideration in a child. The surgical treatment carried out and review of
pertinent literature is being presented here. (J Pediatr Neurol 2004; 2(4):
235–239).
