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Pre-Chiasmatic, Single Injection of Autologous Blood to Induce Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in a Rat Model
Published on: June 18, 2021
Intracranial arachnoid cyst associated with traumatic intracystic hemorrhage and subdural haematoma
P P Tsitsopoulos1, G C Pantazis, E C Syrmou
1Department of Neurosurgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokratio General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. par_tsits@yahoo.gr
Insights
Middle cranial fossa arachnoid cysts rarely rupture, but when they do, surgical evacuation of the subdural hematoma is an effective treatment. This case highlights a rare complication of these common brain cysts.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Brain arachnoid cysts are common, benign, fluid-filled sacs of developmental origin.
- Often discovered incidentally during neuroimaging for other conditions.
Observation:
- A 15-year-old male presented with worsening headache after head trauma.
- Neuroimaging revealed a subdural hematoma secondary to a ruptured middle cranial fossa arachnoid cyst with intracystic hemorrhage.
Findings:
- Surgical evacuation of the subdural hematoma was performed.
- Cyst communication with basal cisterns was established.
- The patient experienced an uncomplicated postoperative recovery.
Implications:
- Rupture of middle cranial fossa arachnoid cysts, though rare, can lead to significant complications like subdural hematomas.
- Prompt surgical management, including hematoma evacuation, is crucial for favorable outcomes.
- Understanding cyst-meningeal relationships is vital for managing these rare but serious complications.
Background:
Brain arachnoid cysts are fluid collections of developmental origin. They are commonly detected incidentally in patients imaged for unrelated symptoms.
Case Description:
A 15-year-old healthy boy with a recent history of head trauma experienced headache that gradually worsened over the course of 10 days. He underwent CT and MRI brain scans which revealed the presence of subdural haematoma caused by the rupture of a middle cranial fossa arachnoid cyst. This was accompanied by intracystic haemorrhage. The subdural haematoma was removed, while communication of the cyst with the basal cisterns was also performed. The postoperative course of the patient was uneventful.
Conclusions:
The annual haemorrhage risk for the patients with middle cranial fossa cysts remains very low. However, when haemorrhage occurs, in most occasions it can be effectively managed only with haematoma evacuation.
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