Aa
cyst in lumbar spine area
Hi,
i had a lumbar mri back in nov 2011which i was told by orthopaedics that it was fine.
Today i had a neuro appt and was told i have a 'considerable sized' cyst in my lumbar area which was not on the mri report. The neuro showed us and talked us through it, referred me to a neurosurgeon and said surgery may be the way to go to illeviate my symptoms. Having looked on here though, everyone who has had surgery on these had found they re-occured.Has anyone had success with it?
I also have pins and needles constantly in my left shoulder blade. I did ask the neuro and he said no, but how likely is it that i could have a cyst in the upper back too?
Thanks for reading
Emma
i had a lumbar mri back in nov 2011which i was told by orthopaedics that it was fine.
Today i had a neuro appt and was told i have a 'considerable sized' cyst in my lumbar area which was not on the mri report. The neuro showed us and talked us through it, referred me to a neurosurgeon and said surgery may be the way to go to illeviate my symptoms. Having looked on here though, everyone who has had surgery on these had found they re-occured.Has anyone had success with it?
I also have pins and needles constantly in my left shoulder blade. I did ask the neuro and he said no, but how likely is it that i could have a cyst in the upper back too?
Thanks for reading
Emma
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi there. Thanks for your response and a detailed description of the events. I understand you have been diagnosed with a lumbar spinal synovial cyst causing spinal canal stenosis like symptoms more since the last one year. I agree with your doctor in view of the saddle distribution of pins and needles and bladder urgency, the cyst is remarkable and causing spinal stenosis like symptoms. Management would be surgical which means removal of the cyst and fusing the joint. You may have mobility issues post operatively, healing may take time. Discuss with your surgeon about the prognosis of treatment options that he suggests. Wishing you best of luck.
Hi,
Thanks for your reply. The full story is pretty long...basicly 5 years ago i got pins and needles in my legs every time i bent over. I saw a neurologist and he did a brain scan and spinal ct. I wasn't even given a follow up and he wrote to my gp saying I was fine. I continued with the problem.
I often got reduced feeling in my legs and feet and found i had a different sensation in the groin area.
I started getting stabbing pains in the groin area then i began getting pain there which would last weeks at a time. I saw the gp and a gynaecologist and again, was told I'm fine. I was in so much pain. The pain began spreading down my right leg then it changed slightly to a sciatic type pain, in the buttocks on both sides (worse on right), groin and down the leg with pins and needles in the feet. About a year ago saddle pins and needles started. I had a back x ray which was clear, no apparent degeneration so i was dismissed again. In october i started getting a buzzing in my leg, like a mobile phone on vibrate, and the pins and needles were bad between my legs. I saw the gp who referred me to othpaedics. I had a lumbar scan ordered by them and a brain scan ordered by the neurologist in November and was told both were clear and sent for acupuncture which didn't help at all.
The week before last i saw a new neurologist and he looked at the images and told me about the cyst in my lumbar spine and referred me to the surgeons. I'm very nervous. Myself and partner believe he said synovial cyst and it appears they need removing to prevent symptoms which is very scary to me. He also said considering my pain, leg weakness, bladder urgency and pins and needles in the lower area have got worse, he suspects the cyst may have grown. I'm only 29 and i used to be so fit and well.
Best wishes x
Thanks for your reply. The full story is pretty long...basicly 5 years ago i got pins and needles in my legs every time i bent over. I saw a neurologist and he did a brain scan and spinal ct. I wasn't even given a follow up and he wrote to my gp saying I was fine. I continued with the problem.
I often got reduced feeling in my legs and feet and found i had a different sensation in the groin area.
I started getting stabbing pains in the groin area then i began getting pain there which would last weeks at a time. I saw the gp and a gynaecologist and again, was told I'm fine. I was in so much pain. The pain began spreading down my right leg then it changed slightly to a sciatic type pain, in the buttocks on both sides (worse on right), groin and down the leg with pins and needles in the feet. About a year ago saddle pins and needles started. I had a back x ray which was clear, no apparent degeneration so i was dismissed again. In october i started getting a buzzing in my leg, like a mobile phone on vibrate, and the pins and needles were bad between my legs. I saw the gp who referred me to othpaedics. I had a lumbar scan ordered by them and a brain scan ordered by the neurologist in November and was told both were clear and sent for acupuncture which didn't help at all.
The week before last i saw a new neurologist and he looked at the images and told me about the cyst in my lumbar spine and referred me to the surgeons. I'm very nervous. Myself and partner believe he said synovial cyst and it appears they need removing to prevent symptoms which is very scary to me. He also said considering my pain, leg weakness, bladder urgency and pins and needles in the lower area have got worse, he suspects the cyst may have grown. I'm only 29 and i used to be so fit and well.
Best wishes x
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello dear and welcome to the medhelp forum. What were your presenting symptoms for which you sought a neurological consult and MRI? If you have tingling and numbness in the lower limbs with or without weakness, the cyst could be responsible if the intervertebral discs and facet joints are unremarkable. There could be different types of cysts in the spine like sebaceous cyst, ganglion cyst, arachnoid and synovial. These can cause nerve compession symptoms. Your neurologist will have to decide the treatment specific to your symptoms, MRI findings and other illnesses if any. There is a possibility of other coexisting cysts up in the cervical or thoracic spine and you would need a complete spine MRI to check. Conservative treatment may not be possible if you have symptoms and surgical decompression may be required. Ask for an MRI head to check up intracranial cyst or other space occupying lesions for headaches. There is an increased risk of recurrence requiring repeat surgery. Hypoparathyroidism could be responsible for tingling in hands, feet and lips if you have. You need to consult your neurologist for the appropriate management. Best wishes and regards.
For more info on POTS try the forum here on MedHelp....there r several over there that may be better at explaining it, plus we do have Health Pages with info for u to use as a source...it is located at the bottom of each forum.....
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Dysautonomia-Autonomic-Dysfunction/show/266?controller=forums&action=show&id=266&camp=msc
Hi,
I do get headaches, stabbing kind, pressure kinds, and anywhere on the head. My bp has been ok, usually 120/60 to 130/70. It was about 130/80 last week at an appt (if i remember correctly) and the machine beeped away but i had a virus and throat infection last wekk so i guess that could be why it was out. My heart rate is about 80 or just over...in the past 18 months i've not been to the gym or running which i used to do up to 5 times a week and when i was active, it was 70.
I have a question mark over possible raynauds but no confirmation. That is because my fingers from 1 3rd up go white if im ill or cold. However, when that happens i don't often have pins and needles. I do have pins and needles in my hands occasionally though............a bit of a spanner in the works is my hypoparathyroidism and prescritpion daily calcium and vit d meds for this.
I've just looked up POTS and i do have a lot of symptoms on there but the site i looked on was very confusing and it listed a few kinds? I have a lot of neuro type symptoms and so many fit so many illnesses.
I do get headaches, stabbing kind, pressure kinds, and anywhere on the head. My bp has been ok, usually 120/60 to 130/70. It was about 130/80 last week at an appt (if i remember correctly) and the machine beeped away but i had a virus and throat infection last wekk so i guess that could be why it was out. My heart rate is about 80 or just over...in the past 18 months i've not been to the gym or running which i used to do up to 5 times a week and when i was active, it was 70.
I have a question mark over possible raynauds but no confirmation. That is because my fingers from 1 3rd up go white if im ill or cold. However, when that happens i don't often have pins and needles. I do have pins and needles in my hands occasionally though............a bit of a spanner in the works is my hypoparathyroidism and prescritpion daily calcium and vit d meds for this.
I've just looked up POTS and i do have a lot of symptoms on there but the site i looked on was very confusing and it listed a few kinds? I have a lot of neuro type symptoms and so many fit so many illnesses.
So no headaches?....How is ur BP and heart rate?...ask about POTS....it is a Autonomic Dysfunction disorder. Blood puddles in the extremities...so ur hands and feet may turn red or purple, even white....but the pins and needles may be the start of it. It is also positional and y I am thinking along that line.
Hi Selma,
In my lower back and downwards I have nerve type pain, occasional burning in the groin, thigh and bum and altered/reduced sensation in my feet on and off.
In my shoulder area its mainly pins and needles. It did start as an altered sensation then changed to the pins and needles, actually quite quickly. Sometimes it seems positional?
Have been complainging to the docs for 18 months or so that i have slightly weaker hands which they agree with, and also pins and needles and odd bruise feelings with no bruise but they won't give me an upper back and neck scan. Now having to get a referral from my chiro to get an mri.
In my lower back and downwards I have nerve type pain, occasional burning in the groin, thigh and bum and altered/reduced sensation in my feet on and off.
In my shoulder area its mainly pins and needles. It did start as an altered sensation then changed to the pins and needles, actually quite quickly. Sometimes it seems positional?
Have been complainging to the docs for 18 months or so that i have slightly weaker hands which they agree with, and also pins and needles and odd bruise feelings with no bruise but they won't give me an upper back and neck scan. Now having to get a referral from my chiro to get an mri.
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