Lumbar intraspinal synovial cysts. Recognition and CT diagnosis.

The lumbar intraspinal synovial cyst is an uncommon cause of low-back pain or "sciatica." However it is important to recognize these cysts so that correct surgical management is offered to the patient. Intraspinal synovial cysts can be accurately diagnosed by computed tomography (CT). The authors report ten cases of lumbar intraspinal synovial cysts (LISC) that highlight the clinical and radiologic features.