The diagnosis and neuroendoscopic treatment of noncommunicating intracranial arachnoid cysts.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to explore the CTC classification, establish surgical indication, and evaluate neuroendoscopic treatment of IAC.


METHODS
Computed tomographic cisternography was applied to screen NCIAC cases out of 22 patients with IAC. Noncommunicating intracranial arachnoid cyst cases were treated with neuroendoscopic fenestration between IAC and cerebral cistern/ventricle with rigid neuroendoscope.


RESULTS
All the NCIAC patients had definite neurologic findings. Postoperatively, the clinical status and situations of all the patients were improved, and some patients were even cured. Only 1 case suffered complicated chronic subdural hematoma and was cured by burr hole drainage. Follow-up CT scan of 9 cases showed that the cysts decreased markedly in size; most of the surrounding spaces were filled by normal cerebral tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
(1) CTC is specific for the differential diagnosis of IAC, which can be classified into CIAC and NCIAC with CTC. (2) NCIAC with definite neurologic findings have surgical indication. (3) Compared with traditional treatments, neuroendoscopic cystic fenestration is more effective and minimally invasive with less mortality and morbidity.
Department of Neurosurgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, PR China.
Qibing
Q
Huang
Donghai
D
Wang
Yuan
Y
Guo
Xudong
X
Zhou
Xinyu
X
Wang
Xingang
X
Li
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016080:Arachnoid Cysts / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002946:Cisterna Magna / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044583:Neuroendoscopy; D018579:Patient Selection; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome