Revista de columna vertebral y neurocirugía

Rapidly Progressing Brainstem Compression Due to a Giant Posterior Fossa Arachnoid Cyst

Cihan Isler, Abdurrahim Tas, Yucel Hitay, Azmi Tufan and Feyza Karagoz Guzey

Rapidly Progressing Brainstem Compression Due to a Giant Posterior Fossa Arachnoid Cyst

Case Presentation: A 28 years old woman with lethargy, disorientation, nausea and vomiting was sent to our emergency department (ED) from a state hospital. A cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was taken there and it revealed a large cystic mass in the posterior fossa causing tonsillar herniation and fourth ventricle compression. A head computerized tomography (CT) with contrast was taken at ED and she was admitted to the neurosurgery ward for further investigation and operation. Within a few hours she was lost her consciousness and developed respiratory arrest. She was taken to operating room emergently and cyst wall fenestration was performed under microscope. During 1 year follow-up she recovered fully in terms of neurological examination.