PARAPARESIS CAUSED BY A BILATERAL CERVICAL SYNOVIAL CYST

We describe a 64-year-old man who suffered from rapidly progressive pa raparesis. At operation the cervical cord of the patient was found to be displaced anteriorly due to compression caused by an epidural synov ial cyst. The cyst was located bilaterally on the dorsolateral aspect of both CVII facet joints. The rapid development of paraparesis in thi s patient can, thus, be explained by the enlargement of the cyst on bo th sides of the spinal cord. After microsurgical removal of the cystic tumor, the recovery of the patient was good. Cervical epidural cysts are extremely rare, and only anecdotal cases have been reported in the literature. Among all previously described patients the present case is unique due to the bilateral location of the cyst.