SUPRATENTORIAL INTERHEMISPHERIC CYSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CALLOSAL AGENESIS - SURGICAL-TREATMENT AND OUTCOME IN 16 CHILDREN

Cerebrospinal-fluid-filled interhemispheric cysts associated with call osal agenesis are relatively rare lesions, and have been subject to a varied and confusing terminology. From a pragmatic surgical point of v iew, we believe that the dorsal III ventricular cyst [35] and the gian t interhemispheric cyst [23], although of different embryological orig in, can be classified as one group. The most important condition that must be distinguished from interhemispheric cysts is the alobar form o f holoprosencephaly. We describe the clinical symptomatology in 16 chi ldren who were surgically treated with a cysto-peritoneal shunt. The o utcome, both neurologically and developmentally, was good in the large majority of cases, and compared favorably to similar cases in the old er literature. It therefore seems reasonable, at the present state of knowledge and until further studies clarify the origin and natural his tory of these cysts, to treat them as early as possible in order to pr event gross developmental deficits.