Microsurgical Fenestration of Intracranial Arachnoid Cysts: Volumetric Analysis and Clinical Outcome

INTRODUCTION

There is paucity of data regarding change in arachnoid cyst (AC) volume following surgery. This study aimed at investigating the clinical outcome of ACs and applying 2 volumetric methods for determination of their volume change post microsurgical fenestration.

METHODS

Twenty-one ACs in 20 patients that underwent microsurgical fenestration were analyzed using 2 volumetric methods; the modified McDonald equation and the picture archiving and communication (PAC) system-based method. Patients were followed up for 23 ± 40.3 months.

RESULTS

The majority of the patients (13 or 65%) were children. Preoperative symptoms in children were mainly seizures and less commonly headache. Of the 20 patients, 12 (60%) had complete resolution of their preoperative symptoms with 8 (40.0%) showing partial improvement. Volumetric studies showed a mean reduction in AC size of 73.7% in children and 64.4% in adults using the PAC system versus 67.9% in children and 70.5% in adults using the modified McDonald equation method. There was no correlation between the percentage decrease in AC volume post surgery and degree of symptom improvement (49.2 ± 34.3% in patients with complete vs. 60.9 ± 40.3% in patients with only partial resolution of symptoms, p = 0.57).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

Microsurgical fenestration is an effective approach for ACs with an excellent clinical outcome apparent in the complete or partial improvement of symptoms in all patients. Volumetric estimates of ACs and their change following surgery are feasible using the modified McDonald or PAC system methods. However, there is no correlation between the percentage decrease in AC volume after surgery and degree of clinical improvement.

Incidental finding of an aberrant left pulmonary artery, an aberrant right subclavian artery, and a tracheal bronchus in an adult woman with a meningioma and a history of medulloblastoma

The aberrant left pulmonary artery and the aberrant right subclavian artery are rare congenital vascular anomalies, and the tracheal bronchus is a rare congenital respiratory anomaly. A 33-year-old female patient, with a history of desmoplastic medulloblastoma, was surgically treated at our hospital for a meningioma. On the second postoperative day, the patient complained of shortness of breath and chest pain. Contrast-enhanced multislice computed tomography was negative for pulmonary embolism, but incidentally revealed all three congenital anomalies. In our report, we detail this exceedingly rare case.