title: Intracranial cysts containing cerebrospinal fluid-like fluid: results of endoscopic neurosurgery in a series of 64 consecutive cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intracranial cysts containing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may be developmental or acquired.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the results of endoscopic neurosurgery in the management of intracranial CSF cysts.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 7-year period, 64 consecutive patients underwent endoscopic neurosurgery for CSF cysts. Group 1 consisted of 13 patients with acquired cysts; group 2 included 51 patients with developmental cysts. In all cases, the cyst walls were fenestrated through small burr holes with frameless guided operative endoscopes. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 6 years (mean, 3.4 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no mortality and no permanent morbidity, apart from a patient (1.6%) who remained neurologically intact but required ventriculoperitoneal shunting because of intraoperative hemorrhage. The planned fenestrations could be performed in all patients except 2, owing to thick, opaque cyst walls. In group 1, 6 patients fully recovered and remained intact throughout the follow-up, whereas 7 improved but had various degrees of neurological disabilities that were related to their initial diseases. Radiological results were excellent in all cases. In group 2, there were 7 asymptomatic patients who remained unchanged and 44 "symptomatic" patients: 40 (91%) clinically improved, 4 (9%) remained unchanged, and none worsened. Cyst size decreased in 37 patients (74%) and remained unchanged in 13 (26%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this series, patients of different ages, harboring cysts of various sizes and locations, could be satisfactorily treated with endoscopic neurosurgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Niguarda Ca'Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy. giuseppe.talamonti@ospedaleniguarda.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Talamonti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Aliberti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picano
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Debernardi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Collice
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016080:Arachnoid Cysts / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult