Reversal of cognitive, behavioral, and language impairments after the left frontal arachnoid cyst fenestration in a pediatric patient. Surg Neurol Int 2021;12:371
Date
09/14/2021Pubmed ID
34513138Pubmed Central ID
PMC8422412DOI
10.25259/SNI_135_2021Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85111473760 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 1 CitationAbstract
BACKGROUND: Arachnoid cysts (ACs) are cerebrospinal fluid-containing cysts located between the surface of the brain or spinal cord and arachnoid layer of the leptomeninges. ACs have been known to cause cognitive, language, and behavioral deficits and currently there is no standard treatment paradigm. Surgical indications include papilledema, increasing growth with mass effect causing neurological deficit, or rapid head growth, however, cognitive symptoms related to mass effect may not always be considered.
CASE DESCRIPTION: We present a 3-year-old male with an AC of the left anterior fossa causing frontal lobe compression with resultant behavioral, language, and cognitive deficits.
CONCLUSION: Surgical intervention for AC decompression may be indicated when there are cognitive, behavioral, or language delays related to the mass effect and location of the AC. Neuropsychiatric testing or more advanced imaging studies may further support surgical treatment. After craniotomy for fenestration of the left frontal AC, there was drastic improvement in cognitive, language, and behavioral symptoms in our pediatric patient.
