This case describes a woman with multilevel symptomatic perineurial Tarlov cysts (TCs). TCs were identified from cadaver study and described (by American neuro-surgeon Tarlov in 1938 and independently by Swedish anatomist Bror Rexed in 1947) without any knowledge of their clinical effects.11'12 Tarlov soon realized that, like hemiated intervertebral discs, some cysts cause surgically treatable radiculopathy.13 But his initial paper was the only one widely read and cited, and his mistaken first impression of clinical irrelevance persisted. TCs occur most often in women (for unknown reasons), and mutual reluctance to discuss pelvic TC symptoms on the part of woman and spine specialists (usually men) has undoubtedly contributed to the misperception of the medical significance of TCs.
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