Changes in Cervical Neurenteric Cyst Size

Abstract

Spinal neurenteric cysts are rare congenital anomalies and the natural history of the cyst is not fully understood. We evaluated a case of spontaneous absorption of a cyst. The patient was a 5-year-old boy who had experienced pain in the bilateral upper extremities 3 days before his admission. Neurological examination revealed severe motor weakness of the upper extremities and mild motor weakness of the lower extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an extramedullary cystic lesion with a fluid-fluid level in the cervical region. One week later, the pain spontaneously improved with bed rest, and the patient showed good neurological recovery. MRI performed 6 months later revealed spontaneous reduction of the cyst. Enlargement and contraction of the cyst were observed over 3 years on MRI. Since the size of the cyst changes, MRI should be performed annually for patient follow-up.