Spinal neurenteric cyst. Report of 4 cases and review of the literature.

Neurenteric cysts are rare congenital lesions of the spine that are lined with entodermal epithelium. We describe 4 unusual cases of neurenteric cysts in patients aged between 3 and 16 years. The cyst was situated anteriorly in 3 patients and posteriorly in 1. All the patients had varied clinical and radiological features. The child with dorsal neurenteric cyst had stigmata of spinal dysraphism along with other vertebral anomalies. Another child had an associated syringomyelia along with evidence of severe arachnoiditis. All 4 patients underwent laminectomy and total microsurgical excision of the cysts through a posterior approach. The patient with diastematomyelia developed early recurrence of the cyst and underwent reoperation. Three patients showed an excellent recovery after surgery. The child with arachnoiditis failed to recover neurologically.