title: Co-existing spinal intradural ependymal cyst and sacral Tarlov cyst in adult-onset tethered cord syndrome with syringomyelia: Case report and literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Synchronous spinal intradural ependymal cysts and sacral Tarlov cysts in adult onset tethered cord syndrome are extremely rare.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 23-year-old male presented with back pain radiating into both lower extremities, accompanied by acute onset of gait difficulty and sphincter dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging identified a low lying conus medullaris, syringomyelia with septations extending from T12 to S1, a tethered cord, and a thickened filum terminale with a sacral Tarlov cyst. The patient underwent a L3-4 laminectomy for decompression of syringomyelia and excision/biopsy of a space occupying lesion along with S1-2 laminectomy for cord untethering and Tarlov cyst fenestration. Postoperative histopathology confirmed that the lesion was an ependymal cyst. Clinically, patient showed marked improvement in the neurological status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simultaneous decompressive laminectomy of L3-4 and S1-2 effectively decompressed the syringomyelia while allowing for excision/biopsy of a space occupying lesion at the former and untethering and Tarlov cyst fenestration at the latter levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Section of Neurosurgery, Medical College, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Hamid H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Section of Neurosurgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Section of Neurosurgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Syed Ather
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Enam
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Section of Neurosurgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Imtiaz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hashmi
keywords: Adult tethered cord syndrome; Tarlov cyst; ependymal cyst