Abstract
The history of arachnoid cysts (ACs) traces back to Richard Bright in 1831 who described two cases of ACs that were discovered at the time of autopsy. Early ACs were associated with chronic and asymptomatic processes. Prevalent early theories implicated trauma and inflammation. As the discipline of neurosurgery emerged in the early twentieth century, symptomatic ACs began to be identified, and potential etiologies were expanded to include congenital and developmental theories. The advent of modern imaging with computed tomography and magnetic resonance technology provided a noninvasive way to visualize the brain, and asymptomatic ACs began to be frequently identified. Today, ACs represent a diverse pathology and can be found throughout the central nervous system. The vast majority of cysts are asymptomatic and do not require any intervention. They continue to be associated with a variety of pathophysiologic mechanisms that include congenital, developmental, traumatic, infectious, and inflammatory etiologies.
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Beutler, T. (2023). History and Etymology of Arachnoid Cysts. In: Turgut, M., Akhaddar, A., Turgut, A.T., Hall, W.A. (eds) Arachnoid Cysts. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22701-1_1
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