[Intracranial arachnoid cyst in pediatric age]

Arachnoid cysts are a pathological condition in which an arachnoid-lined cavity is filled with a CSF-like fluid, often creating a disturbance in intracranial dynamics, due to shift and displacement of surrounding structures, and intracranial hypertension. Primary or congenital arachnoid cysts are maldevelopmental anomalies and contain clear CSF-like fluid. Acquired cysts may result from a variety of aethiologies such as traumas and infections. In these cases the intracystic fluid may be emosiderin-stained or may contain inflammatory cells. A general survey of this peculiar pathological finding in the pediatric age group is reported by the Authors in this paper.