Giant, Completely Calcified Lumbar Juxtafacet Cyst: Report of an Unusual Case. (August 2014) - Huang, Kevin T.
Study Design: Case report. Objective: To report the case of one patient who developed a giant, completely calcified, juxtafacet cyst. Methods: A 57-year-old woman presented with a 2-year history of progressively worsening lower back pain, left leg pain, weakness, and paresthesias. Imaging showed a giant, completely calcified mass arising from the left L5–S1 facet joint, with coexisting grade I L5 on S1 anterolisthesis. The patient was treated with laminectomy, excision of the mass, and L5–S1 fixation and fusion. Results: The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course and had complete resolution of her symptoms as of 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: When presented with a solid-appearing, calcified mass arising from the facet joint, a completely calcified juxtafacet cyst should be considered as part of the differential diagnosis.