Lumbar synovial cysts: presentation of a series of 10 cases and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Although they are freqqently described in the literature, lumbar synovial cysts are a relative uncommon cause of low back and radicular leg pain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the treatment and surgical outcomes of the lumbar synovial cysts operated on in our hospital during a 5 year period.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on patients surgically treated in our department from August 2009 to September 2014, using a visual analogue scale for the clinical follow-up in the first year after surgery.

RESULTS: After the surgical treatment (surgical removal of the synovial cyst with or without instrumented arthrodesis with transpedicular screws) of 10 patients (5 female and 5 male) with a mean age of 70.2 years (range 50-80), the clinical outcome was satisfactory in 80% of the patients, with the resolving of their symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: Lumbar synovial cysts have to be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with low back and radicular leg pain. The majority of the patients are in their sixties and have lumbar degenerative spondylopathy. Nowadays, surgical resection of the lumbar synovial cysts and spinal fusion are the recommended treatment, because it is thought that the increased movement of the spine is one to the causes of the cyst formation. More studies are still needed, hence the relevance of this article.