title: Percutaneous fibrin gel injection under C-arm fluoroscopy guidance: a new minimally invasive choice for symptomatic sacral perineural cysts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Symptomatic sacral perineural cysts are a common cause of chronic pain. Surgery is one choice for symptom relief but has a high risk of cyst recurrence and complications. As a simple and safe method to manage symptomatic sacral perineural cysts, C-arm fluoroscopy-guided fibrin gel injection may represent a new minimally invasive alternative. To evaluate the efficacy of this new method, we conducted a retrospective study of 42 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From June 2009 to August 2012, a total of 42 patients with symptomatic sacral perineural cysts underwent C-arm fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous fibrin gel injection therapy. Patient outcomes in terms of improvements in pain and neurologic function were evaluated during a follow-up period of 13-39 months. The preoperative and postoperative pain severity were assessed according to a 10-cm visual analog pain scale, and imaging changes were evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging. We also assessed postoperative complications. Most patients experienced benefit from the procedure: twenty-five patients (59.5%) reported excellent recovery, eleven (26.2%) reported good recovery, three (7.1%) reported fair recovery, and three (7.1%) reported poor recovery. The overall effectiveness rate (excellent and good recoveries) was 85.7%. No serious postoperative complications were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous fibrin gel injection under C-arm fluoroscopy guidance could be a simple, safe and effective treatment option for symptomatic sacral perineural cysts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: QuanHe
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: XiaoJun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shui
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: ZhenMing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D052958:Tarlov Cysts / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005337:Fibrin