Positional headache associated with a dilated cyst of the septum pellucidum.

OBJECTIVE

A cavum septum pellucidum is an anatomical variant that is usually considered an incidental finding of little clinical significance. This is a fluid-containing structure between the lateral ventricles whose walls exhibit lateral bowing and are 10-mm apart or greater. It has been hypothesized that enlarged cysts of this type may cause hydrocephalus and resultant headache (HA), but there have been very few reports in the literature and even fewer reports of successful treatments.

METHODS

We describe a patient with subacute onset of positional HA who was found to have a large dilated cavum cyst on magnetic resonance imaging.

RESULTS

The patient underwent endoscopic fenestration of the cyst, which eradicated his HAs.

CONCLUSIONS

We hypothesize that this patient's large cavum septum pellucidum cyst was causing intermittent, positional hydrocephalus and thus HAs. This is a very unusual but highly treatable cause of positional HA that could be overlooked easily.