title: Far lateral extraforaminal facet cyst causing L5 radiculopathy.
abstract: Most synovial cysts of the lumbar spine appear as intraspinal extradural masses adjacent to the facet joint. Almost all symptomatic synovial cysts are located within the spinal canal and or the neural foramen. To our knowledge, only 6 cases of symptomatic extraspinal synovial cysts have been described in the literature. The authors report a case of lumbar radiculopathy caused by a synovial cyst located in the far lateral extraforaminal area. The patient underwent decompression of the L5 nerve root with recapping right isthmectomy and facetectomy. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the patient was totally pain free with no motor deficit. Symptomatic synovial cysts are uncommon lesions that are associated with degenerative disease of the spine. Juxtafacet cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesions at the extraforaminal areas. Recapping isthmectomy and facetectomy are useful procedures for a synovial cyst located in the far lateral extraforaminal area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanebo Memorial Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Michihiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manabe
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doita
authors.forename: Masaho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Norihide
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurosaka
mesh_terms: D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint / Q000601:surgery