title: Surgical Decompression of Arachnoid Cysts Leads to Improved Quality of Life: A Prospective Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is no previous prospective study on the outcome of surgical decompression of intracranial arachnoid cysts (AC).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate if surgical fenestration for AC leads to change in patients' health-related quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study including 76 adult patients operated for AC. Patients responded to Short Form-36 and Glasgow Benefit Inventory quality of life questionnaires, and to visual analogue scales, assessing headache and dizziness pre- and postoperatively. Patient scores were compared with those of a large sample of healthy individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preoperatively, 84.2% of the patients experienced headache and 70.1% dizziness. Mean pre- versus postoperative Visual Analogue Scale scores for headache and dizziness dropped from 45.6 to 25.7 and from 35.2 to 12.2, respectively. Preoperative Short Form-36 scores were significantly below age norms in all subscales, but improved after surgery into normal range in 7 out of 8 subscales for middle-aged and older patients. Younger patients' scores remained lower than age norm in 6 out of 8 subscales. A significant postoperative improvement was seen in 3 out of 4 Glasgow Benefit Inventory subscales. Improvement in headache and/or dizziness, but not preoperative cyst size or reduction in cyst volume, correlated with improvement in 6 out of 8 Short Form-36 subscales and 3 out of 4 Glasgow Benefit Inventory subscales. Only 1 patient experienced a severe complication causing permanent invalidity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgery for AC can be performed with a fairly low risk of complications and yields significant improvement in quality of life correlated to postoperative improvement in headache and dizziness. These findings may justify a more liberal approach to surgical treatment for AC.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Neurosurgery, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway;‡Department of Clinical Medicine K1, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway;§Centre for Clinical Research, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Svein H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mørkve
authors.forename: Christian A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Helland
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amus
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lund-Johansen
authors.forename: Knut G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Wester
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016080:Arachnoid Cysts / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004244:Dizziness / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome