Simple bone cyst of lamina of lumbar spine: a case report.

STUDY DESIGN

A case report and literature review.

OBJECTIVE

To describe an extremely rare simple bone cyst involving the lamina of the lumbar spine.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Simple bone cysts involving the spine are very rare. Moreover, the authors are unaware of any published report of a simple bone cyst involving the lamina of the spine.

METHODS

A cystic lesion, incidentally identified in a patient with lumbar disc herniation of L5-S1, located at the left lamina of L5, was surgically treated with complete resection of the involved lamina and discectomy of L5-S1. Medical records, imaging studies, histologic findings, and related literature are reviewed in this study.

RESULTS

Histologic examination of a section of the cystic lesion showed a thin fibrous lining membrane of the cyst surrounded by well-vascularized new bone formation. This result is consistent with the findings of previously reported simple bone cysts in other sites of the body, including the spine.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that a simple bone cyst may be included in the differential diagnosis of a cystic lesion of the posterior elements, especially laminae, of the spine.