ABSTRACT
The current study was conducted upon 121 patients referred from the neurologists and neurosurgeons to the radiology departments[Alex. University Hospital and to private centers in Alexandria and Jeddah during the period Jan.1998 to Jan.2000] presenting with radiculopathy at different levels. MRI examinations were performed to such patients using the Siemens Vision 1.5 tesla in sagittal and coronal planes, T1 and T2 weighted images were obtained. Cystic lesions on the spine were identified in seven patients. Five of those patients were diagnosed as arachnoid cysts. The remaining two patients were diagnosed as synovial cysts. MRI has been proved to be an effective,accurate and non-invasive modality in diagnosing and differentiating spinal arachnoid and synovial cysts