Arachnoid cysts in children.

Twenty-seven cases of intracranial arachnoid cysts in children aged 1 to 16 years have been studied with attention to diagnosis, pathologic findings, and surgical treatment. In nine patients, the cyst was located in the posterior fossa. In eight patients, there were other CNS or other organ system abnormalities. No specific symptom complex can be ascribed to arachnoid cysts in that the clinical manifestations are the result of their size and location, secondary complications, and remote effects. This is illustrated in the ten cases reported.