[Opercular aplasia (author's transl)]

The article reports on 11 cases of opercular aplasia in patients aged 5 to 44 years. Aplasia occurred to a greater extent in the frontal operculum than in the temporal operculum, and was always associated with space-requiring arachnoidal cysts. Symphyses and obstruction of the flow of the basal CSF spaces were also seen. In 91% of the cases, the aplasia was localized on the left side, 91% of the patients were males. The patients tend to decompensate after a cerebrocranial trauma, and in many cases surgery reveals a subdural haematoma which fills the aplastic region, due to detachment of the exposed cerebral veins effecting basal drainage. In the remaining cases, surgery was performed because of general signs of cerebral compression, exacerbation of an existing disease associated with attacks, or because of the space-occupying character of the concomitant arachnoidal cysts. In patients with opercular aplasia without space-occupying arachnoidal cysts, surgery is not performed for the time being; instead, regular neurological and CT control is effected.