Romanian Neurosurgery (Mar 2016)
Intracranial arachnoid cyst: an institutional experience
Abstract
Aim: In this study, symptoms at presentation, indication for surgery, surgical treatment modalities, postoperative results and complications were studied. Material and methods: We retrospectively compiled the details of patients with IAC from admission and operative records admitted through our OPD during the period between January 1995 and January 2015. Only those patients were admitted whose symptoms attributes to the cyst and asymptomatic patients were followed on OPD basis. This is a single institutional study. Results: This study includes 56 patients of IAC who were operated. Posterior fossa cysts (62.5%) were found more commonly symptomatic. Headache (32%) was the most common symptom in a patient with IAC. Out of all, 24 patients presented with headache and underwent surgery subsequently; 20 showed satisfactory relief after surgery while four showed partial relief. Size of cyst was significantly reduced after surgery in 52 patients after 12 weeks but four patients, who underwent cystoperitoneal shunt, required re-operation as patients showed no decrease in size of cyst due to shunt malfunction. Head circumference was reduced following intervention in infant patients. Three patients who presented with visual field defects with IAC in sellar region showed improvement after endoscopic fenestration of cyst. One of the patient with cerebellopontine angle arachnoid was died immediately after marsupialization due to unexplained bleeding. Conclusions: IAC is not an uncommon finding on imaging but only few are symptomatic. Patients with Intracranial arachnoid cyst should be treated only if the patient’s symptoms are attributable to the cyst.
