Arachnoid Cysts: Epidemiology, Biology, and Neuroimaging

Intracranial arachnoid cysts are congenital malformations with a predilection for the middle cranial fossa and an estimated prevalence in the general population as high as 1.7%. The common assumption is that these cysts are incidental findings and the symptoms associated with them are not caused by the cyst and consequently, that surgical intervention will not benefit the patient. However, there is now a growing understanding reflected in the international literature among neurologists and neurosurgeons that arachnoid cysts do harm and that the patients’ complaints can be relieved by surgical treatment.

Arachnoid Cysts: Epidemiology, Biology, and Neuroimaging gives a broad and updated presentation of the condition, including epidemiology, etiology, biology (including genetics and molecular biology), and neuroimaging of same. This book is written for researchers, residents, and clinical practitioners in clinical neuroscience, neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, and pediatrics.