GLENOID CYSTS MIMICKING CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY

Study Design. Patients are often referred for the evaluation of neck o r radiating shoulder or arm pain who are suspected of having a possibl e cervical spine origin of their symptoms. Careful evaluation may show ganglion cysts of the glenohumeral joint mimicking symptoms of cervic al radiculopathy. Objectives. To present a series of patients in whom cysts originating from the glenohumeral joint caused symptoms mimickin g cervical radiculopathy. Summary of Background Data. Suprascapular ne rve entrapment in the suprascapular notch by ganglion cysts from the g lenohumeral joint has been described as the source of vague radicular symptoms. This paper presents a series of a patients referred to a spi ne practice for the evaluation of cervical radiculopathy who actually had glenoid cysts mimicking cervical radiculopathy. Methods. Three hun dred forty-two patients were evaluated for cervical radiculopathy; of these, eight had glenoid cysts that were the source of the patients' s ymptoms. Results. All eight patients had a positive shoulder impingeme nt sign, or, in all, symptoms were temporarily relieved with intra-art icular lidocaine injection. Four of the eight patients had abnormal el ectromyelography and nerve conduction velocity for suprascapular nerve compression. Magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder was diagnosti c in all eight patients. Conclusion. Proper evaluation of the shoulder must be done because it may mimic symptoms of cervical radiculopathy.