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European Radiology
Published in: European Radiology 12/2012

01-12-2012 | Interventional

Symptomatic lumbar facet joint cysts treated by CT-guided intracystic and intra-articular steroid injections

Authors: Nicolas Amoretti, Laurent Huwart, Pauline Foti, Pascal Boileau, Marie-Eve Amoretti, Amelie Pellegrin, Pierre-Yves Marcy, Olivier Hauger

Published in: European Radiology | Issue 12/2012

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided intracystic and intra-articular steroid injections for the treatment of lumbar facet joint cyst causing radicular pain.

Methods

A single-centre prospective study involving 120 consecutive patients with symptomatic lumbar facet joint cyst-induced radicular pain was done (72 women, 48 men). The average age was 68.2 years (52-84). Patients were treated by percutaneous CT-guided intracystic and intra-articular steroid injections. The clinical course of nerve root pain was evaluated after 1 day, and 1, 3 and 6 months, with long-term follow-up after 12 months.

Results

Patient follow-ups in our series show supportive results: within 120 patients, 54% of patients were satisfied with a long-lasting result from the first intra-cystic and intra-articular steroid injections (n = 65), while 20.8% were satisfied with a long-lasting result from a second intervention. Combining these two results shows that 75% of patients were satisfied with a long-lasting result.

Conclusions

Our results showed that percutaneous treatment of vertebral lumbar facet joint cysts by double injections is an effective and economic therapeutic technical management among 75% of our patients. Thus we recommend that it should be considered as a first choice of treatment.

Key Points

• Lumbar facet joint cysts are a common feature of back and radicular pain.
• They may be treated effectively by interventional radiologists using CT guidance
• Percutaneous treatment using double injections can save surgery in 75% of patients
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Metadata
Title
Symptomatic lumbar facet joint cysts treated by CT-guided intracystic and intra-articular steroid injections
Authors
Nicolas Amoretti
Laurent Huwart
Pauline Foti
Pascal Boileau
Marie-Eve Amoretti
Amelie Pellegrin
Pierre-Yves Marcy
Olivier Hauger
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Radiology / Issue 12/2012
Print ISSN: 0938-7994
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1084
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-012-2533-z

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