[Arachnoid cysts and epilepsy in children].

BACKGROUND

At neurodevelopment age arachnoid cysts (ac) are commonly found by accident in neuroimaging examinations performed in the process of differential diagnostics of different diseases, including epilepsy. They are neurodevelopmental disorders which usually develop in the fetal life. Ac are usually supratentorial, less often subtentorial and sporadically interstellar. They are often the only structural lesions of the brain found in the child with epilepsy. There is still lack of univocal statement whether presence of ac determines type of seizures and focal paroxysmal changes in EEG recording.

OBJECTIVE

Estimation the association between cyst localization and changes in bioelectric activity in inter seizure EEG recording and type of epileptic seizures observed in children with ac.

METHODS

Analysis included 14 children out of 35 with found pineal cyst hospitalized in the Department of Pediatric Neurology Chair of Pediatric and Adolescent Neurology in Krakow, in the years 2007-2009. There were 4 girls and 10 boys at the age range from 1 month to 14 years. On the basis of clinical symptoms and EEG results diagnosis of epilepsy was established.

RESULTS

Pc were usually localized in the temporal region and posterior cranial fossa and had characteristics of single lesions. In minority of children they were co-occurring with other brain development disorders. In children with pc generalized and polymorphic seizures were dominating and in EEG recording generalized paroxysmal changes.

CONCLUSIONS

No association between presence and localization of pc and type of epileptic seizures and characteristics of changes in inter seizure EEG recording was found.