Thoracic radiculopathy from a paravertebral mesothelial cyst

We report on an extremely rare case of a paravertebral thoracic mesothelial cyst in a young woman who presented with dorsal radiculopathy affecting the T5 dermatome. The patient underwent a standard transthoracic intercostal approach with removal of the cyst. During the operation, the T5 intercostal neurovascular bundle was found firmly attached to the lesion elucidating the origin of the radicular pain. To our knowledge, this is the first report of radiculopathy due to a paravertebral mesothelial cyst. Although highly unusual, paravertebral mesothelial cyst should be considered in the differential diagnosis for lesions inducing dorsal radicular pain.