Conflicting Behavior of Glioependymal Cyst: A Report of Three Cases and Review of Literature

Three cases evaluated as glial tumor were operated and diagnosed incidentally as conus medullaris cystic lesion. In the first case, following a traffic accident, paraparesis and urinary incontinence developed. A collapsed fracture at L2 was determined on lumbar Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), so posterior fusion was applied with a transpedicular screw. The urinary incontinence did not improve, and on the follow-up MRI, a cystic mass was determined in the conus medullaris, so gross total surgery was performed. The other two cases had complaints of low back pain. The neurological and systematic examinations were normal. A cystic mass was determined in the conus medullaris on the lumbar MRI taken in each case and as these were thought to be glial tumors, partial excision, and marsupialization was applied. The pathological diagnosis in these three cases was glia ependymal cyst. The cases are presented with a review of the relevant literature.