Is it necessary to undergo surgery for sacral cyst

With the increasing pressure of life, the incidence of sacral cysts is getting higher and higher. Therefore, many people are very worried about the occurrence of sacral cysts. For the treatment of this disease, surgery is not necessarily required, but it is necessary to consider the severity of the patient's condition and choose the appropriate treatment method according to the different degrees and actual conditions. Only in this way can the right medicine be prescribed to help restore health as soon as possible.

1. Is surgery necessary for sacral cysts?

This disease is a common disease, generally a benign tumor, which can be examined by a puncture biopsy. Pay attention to rest, avoid fatigue, and have regular check-ups. If it is significantly enlarged, surgery can be used.

2. Sacral cyst

The sacral canal cyst is located in the sacral canal below the lumbar spine and in the middle of the posterior pelvis. The cyst contains clear watery cerebrospinal fluid, which is connected to the normal cerebrospinal fluid in the spine through a one-way valve (i.e., leakage). Therefore, when coughing, holding the breath, sitting for a long time, standing, or walking, the cerebrospinal fluid will squeeze into the sacral canal cyst through the one-way valve, causing the cyst to gradually expand, forming very high pressure, compressing the cauda equina nerve roots in the sacral canal, causing lumbar pain, tingling in the buttocks and perineum, referred pain around the anus, radiating pain in the lower limbs, and intermittent claudication; as the disease progresses, sexual dysfunction and incontinence gradually appear.

In this way, sacral canal cysts and intracranial arachnoid cysts have many similarities: both are cysts with cerebrospinal fluid inside, connected to the normal subarachnoid space by a one-way valve. The cerebrospinal fluid flows into the cyst from the subarachnoid space but cannot flow out, so it gradually and slowly increases in size. The main pathology is mechanical compression of the surrounding nervous tissue.

So, what is the difference between sacral canal cyst and intracranial arachnoid cyst? This is a question that many doctors find difficult to answer accurately.

The superficial differences are the location and symptoms: the former is located in the lumbosacral region, mainly causing the above-mentioned lumbosacral, perineal, perianal, and lower limb pain; while the intracranial arachnoid cyst compresses the brain or cerebellum, mainly causing headaches and dizziness.

The essential difference lies in the hydrostatic pressure of the two: we know that the entire brain and spinal cord are immersed in cerebrospinal fluid, which is colorless and transparent like water. It fills the entire cranial cavity and spinal canal cavity, and plays a role in buffering and protecting the brain and spinal cord. When the human body is upright, the hydrostatic pressure on the top of the head is the lowest, while the hydrostatic pressure in the lumbar sacral region is the highest, which is nearly 1000 mm of water column higher than the intracranial pressure!

Intracranial arachnoid cysts are located at the top of the entire cerebrospinal fluid system with very low pressure, so surgical treatment of intracranial arachnoid cysts is relatively easy. Through keyhole surgery, most of the cyst wall is removed under a microscope to relieve the pressure, and the arachnoid cyst is connected with the normal brain cistern to form a two-way flow, thus avoiding recurrence. This microsurgery is thorough and safe, with an effectiveness rate of over 99%.