Symptomatic, expansive middle cranial fossa arachnoid cyst treated by a cysto-peritoneal shunt. Case report and evaluation of treatment options.
We report a symptomatic space-occupying arachnoid cyst in a 16-year-old boy. During the last two years, he was frequently absent from school because of headaches. Due to symptoms of nausea, fever and headache the patient was primarily referred to a surgical unit, where appendectomy was performed, revealing a normal appendix. Postoperatively, the patient complained of severe headache. Computed tomography (CT) of the head demonstrated a large left-sided middle cranial fossa arachnoid cyst. The patient was operated with insertion of a cysto-peritoneal shunt. A total regress of the clinical symptoms was seen at follow-up examination 3 months after shunting.
Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Tromsø, Norway.
B
B
Romner
A
A
Egge
J H
JH
Trumpy
D000293:Adolescent; D016080:Arachnoid Cysts / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed