Intracranial cysts in pediatric age group: Incidental or developmental?

Burçin Şanlıdağ, Mehmet Alp Dirik, Eray Dirik

Objective: Intracranial cysts are fluid-filled sacs within the brain. There is a diversity of intracranial cysts with different incidences in addition to the growing awareness about comorbidities and the consequences. The present study aimed to evaluate incidental cystic findings in children who were admitted to the department of pediatric neurology regardless of the symptomatology.

Methods: Children who were admitted to the Clinic of Pediatric Neurology and who had an MRI between 2016- 2021 evaluated. The MRI examination performed with pediatric epilepsy protocol. Primary intracranial cysts had been enrolled in the study. Demographic and clinical findings had been evaluated from the hospital's database and patients' files

Results: Among 78 patients 36(46,2%) were male and 42(53,8%) were female. The mean age was 7±5,4 years. The most frequent complaint of attendance was a seizure (47,4%). Approximately one over four had mental and/or motor retardation. Nine (11,5%) of them had a neuropsychiatric diagnosis. Most of the cysts were located at the midline (41%). Mostly located extra-axial (71,8%) and supratentorial (78,2%). Most frequently arachnoid cysts had been observed with a percent of 64.1. The second leading type was pineal cysts(15.4%). The history of seizure, epilepsy, presence of mental retardation, and neuropsychiatric problems was evaluated according to the population ratios based on z approximation in which signififantly higher rates had been observed among cases with intracranial cysts.

Conclusion: Intracranial cysts should be taken into consideration for comorbid pathologies especially in childhood period. Early evaluation and management of developmental delay and neuropsychiatric problems is important.
Keywords: intracranial cysts, pediatric, comorbidity, magnetic resonance imaging

Burçin Şanlıdağ
Near East University
Cyprus

Mehmet Alp Dirik
Dr Suat Günsel Üniversity
Cyprus

Eray Dirik
Near East University
Cyprus
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Burçin Şanlıdağ 
Near East University Cyprus