title: Fluoroscopically guided aspiration of a symptomatic lumbar zygapophyseal joint cyst: a case report.
abstract: Lumbar zygapophyseal joint cysts are potential pain generators in patients with axial pain and/or lower-limb radicular pain. The traditional treatment of symptomatic cysts that do not respond to conservative measures is surgical decompression. Percutaneous needle aspiration under fluoroscopic guidance is a potential minimally invasive treatment option. We present a patient with a large symptomatic L4-5 zygapophyseal joint cyst and right L5 radiculopathy who responded well to percutaneous aspiration.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY. lutzg@hss.edu
authors.forename: Gregory E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Timothy C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D013396:Suction / Q000379:methods*; D013581:Synovial Cyst / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint