[Bilateral cerebellopontine arachnoid cyst]

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Bilateral cerebellopontine arachnoid cysts are exceptionally rare, with only three previous cases documented in medical literature.
• Arachnoid cysts are congenital abnormalities resulting from a separation of the arachnoid mater layers.

Observation:

• A 14-year-old female presented with a 6-week history of frontal headaches originating in the occipital region.
• Neurological examination revealed no abnormalities.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated bilateral extra-axial lesions in the cerebellopontine angles, predominantly on the left.

Findings:

• MRI revealed homogeneously hypointense lesions on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images.
• No contrast enhancement or diffusion restriction was observed, suggesting benign cystic nature.
• The patient's clinical presentation and imaging findings did not necessitate surgical intervention.

Implications:

• This case expands the known literature on bilateral cerebellopontine arachnoid cysts.
• It underscores the importance of MRI in diagnosing such rare conditions.
• The findings suggest that surgical intervention for these cysts is primarily indicated by symptomatic presentation or neurological deficits.