Tarlov cyst – an uncommon cause of back pain

Abstract

Tarlov cysts, also known as perineural or sacral nerve root cysts, are cerebrospinal fluid-filled dilatations of the nerve root sheath most commonly found at the sacral spine, near the dorsal root ganglion. The cysts are relatively rare and usually asymptomatic, but some can exert pressure on the nerve root, causing perineal pain/discomfort or lower back pain or sphincter/sexual dysfunction. Tarlov (perineural) cysts of the nerve roots were first described in 1938.