Tarlov Cyst on the spine: Any advice?

Posted by vadaanglin @vadaanglin, Jan 31, 2019

I have a large tarlov cyst 2.5cm and 3.5cm on the spine in the lumbar region. Some what rare and doctors seem to know little about and say they are nonproblematic. I'm having chronic pain. Any advise will be appreciated.

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Profile picture for Sophie46 @sophie46

I have been diagnosed with numerous Tarlov Cysts in my sacrum and I also have Adhesive Arachnoiditis. I believe both were caused by my dura being cut during surgery. I had a spinal fluid leak. There is surgery for Tarlov Cysts, but I am too old at seventy eight.

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Thank you for responding. I will be 74 in a few months so I might be too old too!

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Profile picture for Sophie46 @sophie46

I have been diagnosed with numerous Tarlov Cysts in my sacrum and I also have Adhesive Arachnoiditis. I believe both were caused by my dura being cut during surgery. I had a spinal fluid leak. There is surgery for Tarlov Cysts, but I am too old at seventy eight.

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i've just been DX with a Tarlov cyst down by the Sacrum or is that down by the tailbone? i was told by a couple surgeons that it would be better to leave it alone. not because of my age of 66. but, it'd be more trouble to fix it than to leave it alone for now. so i guess i will leave it alone temporarily until it causes trouble. 🤷‍♂️

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Profile picture for danny67 @danny5

i've just been DX with a Tarlov cyst down by the Sacrum or is that down by the tailbone? i was told by a couple surgeons that it would be better to leave it alone. not because of my age of 66. but, it'd be more trouble to fix it than to leave it alone for now. so i guess i will leave it alone temporarily until it causes trouble. 🤷‍♂️

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There are only 2 doctors in the states that do the surgery one in Texas the other in California. There is a couple of FB groups you can join to learn more. I have learned a lot from the groups. There is also a doctor named Forest Tennant that has a found you can learn a lot from him as well.

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Profile picture for kennoct @kennoct

Is anyone here from Canada?

I'm having lower back pain for 5 weeks (I know, it isn't long compared to many others on this thread, but I wanna fix it before it got worse and chronic) which progressed into my right leg and toe with tingling and numbness since the 3rd week. It's disabling me from usual daily life and work and pretty much anything even as simple as getting dressed. After MRI on my lower spine, radiologists found no herniated disc or other disc issues, but found at least one sacral Tarlov cyst, pronounced to the right, associated with bone remodelling.

My symptoms are getting worse since onset, as now I started experiencing mild bladder issues. My current treatment is only NSAID since originally suspected to be disc problems which were ruled out in MRI.
I'm residing in Toronto from Hong Kong, and have no US visa. I read up in the Foundation website and found there's a doctor in Canada, Dr. Kieran Murphy MD, for such issues. But I have no idea how to navigate through the Ontario public healthcare system to get referred specifically to Dr. Murphy.

But looks like Dr Murphy is now on the research side only instead of operative. If he no longer perform operations I don't know how I can find any other neurosurgeons who are experienced in fixing Tarlov cysts..

(I did find some good neurosurgeons from google but not sure do they do Tarlov cysts..and the referral process to find a relevant neurosurgeon even for just consultation is long and tiring..)

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I too am interested in Dr. Murphys aspiration/fibrin method. The studies that I have read give it just as much success as the other wrapping method, without the complications of major surgery

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Surgery just to get better

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I too have several spinal Tarlov cysts that have been ignored by doctors for decades. Have you found help yet? I hope more research will be done in this area so they will be taken more seriously. If you know of any new treatment, I'd love to hear about it or any new research, etc. . Thanks very much.

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Profile picture for kgrainger @kgrainger

I have them in every level of the spine. All the doctors say the same thing. Should not be the cause of my pain.

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I had a Laminectomy fusion at L5 S1, L1-2, and L3-4 . The surgeons name is Daniel Elskens and the surgery was done at Firelands Regional hospital in Sandusky OH. I wish I had done some research on him beforehand because he totally botched my surgery! I now have debilitating adhesive arachnoiditis. There is no cure for this and now I can barely walk. This man has gotten away with botching many other surgeries including killing a woman by cutting her aorta during a back surgery. He should have his license revoked but instead he jumps around to different states. He is now in Michigan.

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@joken what came of the additional testing?

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Profile picture for peacenlove @peacenlove

Hi, I was diagnosed with a Tarlov cyst at S2 one year ago, and again last month. I received an epidural steroid last year, but no other treatment. Now, symptoms are becoming increasingly worse, including, bowel and bladder issues, neuropathy, migraines. I am studying everything I can, educating docs as I go (so far: GP, GastroEnterologist and Orthopedic Spine surgeon). I am currently searching for a neurosurgeon who has treated these cysts. The Tarlov Cyst Fdn lists 3 docs, in Dallas, Sacramento and Silver Spring, MD. I am in the process of setting up a video call with a surgeon at Metropolitan Neurosurgery in MD (altho the doctor listed on the Foundation's website does NOT take Medicare, so I can't see him). I stumbled on Penn Medicine in PA that lists Tarlov Cyst as one of the conditions they treat, and that seems like a small victory! Are there any other places to look online for a "complete list" of experienced neurosurgeons? I really appreciate a community of folks with whom to share experiences and information. Thank you!

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Hi. I am actually waiting for a call back from Johns Hopkins Tarlov Cyst Program. I was so bad yesterday- almost passing out all day. Called my neuro office who had the on call provider(pa) look at the note. He surmised that the MRI from NINE months ago wasn’t showing anything alarming. What??? Nine months???? Then way do they consistently make you have updated imaging studies done???? I looked sg my own report. Researched Tarlov Cysts. Wow. I check ALL the boxes. I know I need a neuro surgeon to TELL me what’s going on, but good grief. I have multiple in my cervical spine, thoracic spine AND lumbar spine. You can’t tell me that my pain, debilitating weakness, dizziness, fainting, bowel issues, bladder issues, headaches. Foot pain, unexplained calf pain. Inability to stand and walk for more than an hour tops, has nothing to do with any of this. Praying that I get answers. If they tell me I’m a loon then I’ll except it from Hopkins.

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Profile picture for mommacat2 @mommacat2

Hi peacenlove... I had an MRI done end of September 2020 after 8 months of tailbone pain (resulting from a fall in Nov 2019 which resulted in a broken tibia, the tailbone stuff didn’t manifest itself till a few months later). All PT people would say was that it was inflammation. Anyway, the MRI revealed 3 Tarlov cysts in S2 area. Now I am in constant pain and the life I knew is gone. I live in PA (near Harrisburg), and saw you mentioned Penn Medicine ... I did make a trip to Johns-Hopkins spine neurosurgery center about a month ago. There was only one surgeon who would even talk to me about it [and they don’t even list Tarlov cysts in their services]. And, because it was a fall (trauma) that started it all, he had me get a CT scan of sacrum and coccyx to rule out any fracture. There was none. Still, he wants me to try getting a steroid injection in the coccyx area first, and see if that helps. If it does help, great. If it doesn’t, then J-H can go to step 2 (the cyst drain/fluid injection) ... petrified of that! An interventional radiologist does that procedure. I will turn 66 in a few months, and the retirement dream my husband and I had seems to be fading .. the places we wanted to visit, the things we wanted to do. It’s like getting through the day is all I can do now.
Can you share with me the name of the surgeon you found that is actually in PA (and if their is any level of experience that is made known)?
I hope your video conference with Metropolitan Surgery goes well ... what a boat we are in huh? So incredibly sad that science does not research methods of better surgery for these damn things!

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See my comment. I live close to you!

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