Cervico-thoracic neurenteric cyst: clinicoradiological correlation with embryogenesis

Abstract

Two cases of cervico-dorsal neurenteric cysts are presented, one located dorsal and the other ventral to the spinal cord, with associated Klippel-Feil anomaly, meningocele, spinal dysraphism and possibly spinal cord malformation. One patient was operated on as a neonate for a cervico-thoracic meningocele and presented during adolescence with spastic quadriparesis. Imaging revealed spina bifida, a dorsally located neurenteric cyst and a tendency towards split cord malformation. The other child presented with cervico-thoracic kyphoscoliosis and paraparesis. Imaging demonstrated persistence of a cervico-thoracic remnant of the primitive neurenteric canal through the upper thoracic spine.

Multiple Neurenteric Cysts in the Posterior Fossa and Cervical Spinal Canal-Case Report-

“…8,12,18) Persistence of the entire primitive neurenteric canal results in vertebral anomalies and dysraphic syndromes. 1,12,14,15,17,18,[22][23][24][25] Persistence of only part of the tract results in isolated intraspinal or intracranial cyst.…”

Thoracic Myelopathy Secondary to Intradural Extramedullary Bronchogenic Cyst

“…Only 36% of cysts reported are completely removed; the remainder are adherent (7). There are no reports in the literature of recurrence after total removal of the lesion (8). The overall recurrence rate reported in the literature is 11.6%, which is attributed to partial resection of the cyst in all cases (9).…”

Far-lateral transcondylar approach: surgical technique and its application in neurenteric cysts of the cervicomedullary junction

“…6,8,13,14 Spinal neurenteric cysts are often connected by a fibrous tract, fistula, or cleft to structures derived from the primitive gut in the thoracic or abdominal cavities and are commonly associated with vertebral anomalies such as vertebral body dysgenesis, split spinal cord malformations, hemivertebra, segmentation abnormalities, and spina bifida. 7,12,22,24 This is not the case with intracranial neurenteric cysts. 6 Although the exact pathogenesis remains unknown, intracranial neurenteric cysts are thought to arise from a failure of dissolution of the transient neurenteric canal between the foregut or the respiratory buds and the notochord during notochordal development.…”