SPINAL ENTEROGENOUS CYSTS IN INFANTS

Intraspinal enterogenous cysts are very rare congenital cysts of endodermal origin, and tend to occur in anterior spinal intradural space. The diagnosis is usually established during the first or second decade of life. Those cysts are frequently associated with vertebral or spinal cord anomalies and dual malformation with mediastinal or abdominal cysts. We report two infants of posterior spinal enterogenous cyst in this study, one thoracolumbar (T12-L1) and one lumbar (L2-L4) presenting with features of subcutaneous lesion of posterior spinal. In one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a cystic mass extending to posterior intramedullary from subcutaneous localization at T12-L1, and in the other MRI demonstrated a syrinx extending from T11 to L1, tethered cord syndrome associated with a meningocele sac between L2 and L4. The cystic lesions in the patients were removed. The postoperative courses were uneventful. The patients appeared well after six years and four years of follow-up, respectively. Successful treatment requires early recognition of those cysts and their associated abnormalities.