Cysto-atrial shunt treatment of intracranial arachnoid cysts

Four cases of intracranial arachnoid cysts treated with cysto-atrial shunt are reported. Clinical findings, radiological evaluation and operative results are reviewed. An important role of CT diagnosis for revealing of this kind of lesion is stressed by authors. Two patients aged from 21 to 27 years had supratentorial cysts. A 12 year old boy and a man aged 26 years had cysts in the posterior fossa. All patients were treated by computerized tomography. All of them were diagnosed with cysto-atrial shunt and a standard low-pressure Cordis-Hakim valve was inserted into the cyst. Clinical improvement was observed in every patient. A follow up CT revealed that a cyst collapsed in one case. Cysto-atrial shunt procedure is recommended as a favourable and a simple method of surgical treatment of intracranial arachnoid cysts.