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Arachnoid cysts in children: a European co-operative study

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Abstract

The data on arachnoid cysts in children (0–15 years) operated upon between 1980 and 1988 were analysed in a retrospective, co-operative study. The results from 285 patients indicate a predominance of these lesions in boys (64%) more than girls (36%) and a mean age of 6 years at onset of symptoms. Focal EEG patterns corresponding to the cyst's location were encountered in 32%. About 40% of all cysts were located along the midline, the sylvian fissure representing the predominant location. Open surgery, i.e. total excision or marsurpialization (together 43.3%), emerged as the first-choice surgical procedure. The type of surgery switched somewhat to shunting procedures in cases of lesions in deeper locations (22.8%). Morphological results on follow-up revealed a reduction of the size of the cyst in a significant majority (61%); in 18% the cyst had disappeared completely on CT scans. There was an obvious correlation between postoperative morphological findings and clinical outcome.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universitätsklinik für Neurochirurgie, A-8036, Graz, Austria

    Rainer W. Oberbauer & Robert Pucher

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Aalborg, Denmark

    Jens Haase

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  1. Rainer W. Oberbauer
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M. Colangelo, Department of Neurosurgery, Naples. Italy; L. Cristante and H.-D. Hermann, Department of Neurosurgery, Hamburg, FRG; C. Di Rocco, M. Caldarelli, and A. Ceddia, Department of Neurosurgery, Rome, Italy; J. Haase, Department of Neurosurgery, Aalborg, Denmark; A. D. Hockley, Department of Neurosurgery, Birmingham, UK; G. Kaiser, Department of Pediatrics, Bern, Switzerland; E. Kraus and H.-P. Jensen, Department of Neurosurgery, Kiel, FRG; M. Lange and R. Oeckler, Department of Neurosurgery, Munich, FRG; R. Lorenz, K. Franz, and J. Seeger, Department of Neurosurgery, Frankfurt/M., FRG; M. Marinov, Department of Neurosurgery, Sofia, Bulgaria; G. Mittermaier, Department of Pediatrics, and G. Schackert, Department of Neurosurgery, Heidelberg, FRG; M. Mühlbauer, Department of Neurosurgery, Vienna, Austria; R. W. Oberbauer and R. Pucher, Department of Neurosurgery, Graz, Austria; W. Peul and R. Braakman, Department of Neurosurgery, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; K. E. Richard, Department of Neurosurgery, Cologne, FRG; W. Serlo, Department of Paediatrics, Oulo, Finland; R. M. Villani, G. Tomei, and D. Spagnoli, Department of Neurosurgery, Milan, Italy

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Oberbauer, R.W., Haase, J. & Pucher, R. Arachnoid cysts in children: a European co-operative study. Child's Nerv Syst 8, 281–286 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300797

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