TY - JOUR
T1 - Arachnoid cyst in the pediatric patient
T2 - What the radiologist needs to know
AU - Krishnan, Venkatram
AU - Jaganathan, Sriram
AU - Baker, Andrew
AU - Jayappa, Sateesh
AU - Murphy, Janice
AU - Glasier, Charles
AU - Choudhary, Arabinda
AU - Albert, Gregory
AU - Ramakrishnaiah, Raghu
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Arachnoid cysts are the most common incidentally discovered intracranial lesions on imaging and the most common cystic intracranial lesions. They may be developmental or secondary. A relative lack of recent literature and any comprehensive radiological review on arachnoid cysts has led to a general lack of awareness among radiologists of symptomatic or complicated arachnoid cysts. This is particularly concerning in pediatric patients. While arachnoid cysts are asymptomatic in most cases, they can cause clinical symptoms in a minority of cases, especially when they occur in unusual sites. These include intraventricular locations where they may cause hydrocephalus, the basal cisterns where they may compress cranial nerves, the cerebellopontine angle where they have to be differentiated from a number of cystic lesions, the cavum septum pellucidum or cavum velum interpositum, the choroid fissure where they can entrap the temporal horn and compress the hippocampus, the posterior fossa where they need to be differentiated from other posterior fossa cystic lesions, and within the spinal canal where there is a concern for cord or nerve root compression. Larger cysts are more prone to complications such as mass effect, hemorrhage, and rupture. Hemorrhage and rupture often present with acute symptoms. Ruptured cysts lose their characteristic imaging appearance and can mimic several ominous pathologies. It therefore becomes vital to accurately diagnose these cases as complications of pre-existing arachnoid cysts for appropriate management. A detailed review of all diagnostic imaging aspects of arachnoid cysts will help fill in the existing information void on this important entity.
AB - Arachnoid cysts are the most common incidentally discovered intracranial lesions on imaging and the most common cystic intracranial lesions. They may be developmental or secondary. A relative lack of recent literature and any comprehensive radiological review on arachnoid cysts has led to a general lack of awareness among radiologists of symptomatic or complicated arachnoid cysts. This is particularly concerning in pediatric patients. While arachnoid cysts are asymptomatic in most cases, they can cause clinical symptoms in a minority of cases, especially when they occur in unusual sites. These include intraventricular locations where they may cause hydrocephalus, the basal cisterns where they may compress cranial nerves, the cerebellopontine angle where they have to be differentiated from a number of cystic lesions, the cavum septum pellucidum or cavum velum interpositum, the choroid fissure where they can entrap the temporal horn and compress the hippocampus, the posterior fossa where they need to be differentiated from other posterior fossa cystic lesions, and within the spinal canal where there is a concern for cord or nerve root compression. Larger cysts are more prone to complications such as mass effect, hemorrhage, and rupture. Hemorrhage and rupture often present with acute symptoms. Ruptured cysts lose their characteristic imaging appearance and can mimic several ominous pathologies. It therefore becomes vital to accurately diagnose these cases as complications of pre-existing arachnoid cysts for appropriate management. A detailed review of all diagnostic imaging aspects of arachnoid cysts will help fill in the existing information void on this important entity.
KW - Arachnoid cyst
KW - arachnoid cyst hemorrhage
KW - arachnoid cyst rupture
KW - cisternography
KW - cranial nerve compression
KW - posterior fossa cysts
KW - spinal arachnoid cyst
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U2 - 10.1177/19714009241248746
DO - 10.1177/19714009241248746
M3 - Article
C2 - 38649153
AN - SCOPUS:85191149883
SN - 1971-4009
JO - Neuroradiology Journal
JF - Neuroradiology Journal
ER -