Study design: Patients are often referred for the evaluation of neck or radiating shoulder or arm pain who are suspected of having a possible cervical spine origin of their symptoms. Careful evaluation may show ganglion cysts of the glenohumeral joint mimicking symptoms of cervical radiculopathy.
Objectives: To present a series of patients in whom cysts originating from the glenohumeral joint caused symptoms mimicking cervical radiculopathy.
Summary of background data: Suprascapular nerve entrapment in the suprascapular notch by ganglion cysts from the glenohumeral joint has been described as the source of vague radicular symptoms. This paper presents a series of patients referred to a spine practice for the evaluation of cervical radiculopathy who actually had glenoid cysts mimicking cervical radiculopathy.
Methods: Three hundred forty-two patients were evaluated for cervical radiculopathy; of these, eight had glenoid cysts that were the source of the patients' symptoms.
Results: All eight patients had a positive shoulder impingement sign, or, in all, symptoms were temporarily relieved with intra-articular lidocaine injection. Four of the eight patients had abnormal electromyelography and nerve conduction velocity for suprascapular nerve compression. Magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder was diagnostic in all eight patients.
Conclusion: Proper evaluation of the shoulder must be done because it may mimic symptoms of cervical radiculopathy.