Pineal epidermoid cysts: diagnosis and management.

OBJECT: The results of surgical treatment of epidermoid cysts of the pineal region in six cases are presented.

METHODS

Six patients with pineal epidermoid cysts underwent surgery at the Institute of Neurosurgery "N. N. Burdenko," in Moscow, during the period 1976 to 1995. The duration of the patients' preadmission clinical history varied from 6 months to 2 years (average 1.4 years). Headache, diplopia, and vertigo were the most frequently occurring symptoms. Neurological examination demonstrated papilledema, impaired pupillary reaction, ataxia, and long-pathways deficit; Parinaud's syndrome was found in only one case. Computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging constituted the primary diagnostic tools. Surgery was performed using either an infratentorial-supracerebellar approach (two cases) or an occipital-transtentorial approach (four cases).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical results can be excellent if a removal, as extensive as possible, is performed using either the supracerebellar or occipital-transtentorial approach.