An Updated Review on Treatment of Cervical Synovial Cyst

Abstract

Cervical synovial cyst (CSC) is a rare condition that often leads patients to seek medical attention due to cervical stenosis symptoms. There's ongoing debate about the best management strategy. To address this, a review of literature from the past 20 years (2003–2023) was conducted using keywords like "cervical synovial cyst," "cervical ganglion cyst," and "cervical juxtafacet cyst." Data on patient demographics, imaging characteristics, treatment methods, and clinical outcomes were collected. A total of 79 patients were diagnosed with CSCs, averaging 62.3 years old, with a slight male predominance (45 males, 34 females). Most cysts were located at the C1-2 and C7-T1 joints, with myelopathy being the most common symptom. Subaxial CSCs had a higher incidence of radiculopathy compared to axial CSCs. Most cases were treated surgically, with decompression performed with or without fusion. Patients generally reported symptom improvement regardless of the surgical method. Overall, surgical intervention effectively improved neurological symptoms associated with CSCs.