title: Neurenteric cyst in an adult: a diagnosis in a quinquagenarian.
abstract: Neurenteric cysts are congenital lesions of the spine usually diagnosed in children. There are few reports of diagnosis in adults. The abnormality is thought to arise during embryonic life and can be associated with other congenital deformities. We describe a case where the diagnosis occurred in a 54-year-old woman, whose symptoms improved following surgical excision of the cyst. We postulate that the cyst contributed to symptoms of cord tethering rather than cord compression and that the lateness of presentation was due to age-related spinal degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UK. shettige@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hettige
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sokol
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Gullan
mesh_terms: D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D020234:Gait Ataxia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery