Symptomatic prepontine cistern flattening after an arachnoid cyst shunting: a report of 2 cases.

BACKGROUND: Controversy still exists about the best management modality for congenital arachnoid cyst. Shunting procedures have been one of the treatment options offered to patients with this condition. Although arachnoid cysts shunting have been associated with a variety of clinical conditions, its relationship with flattened prepontine cistern has not been described.

CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe two children with congenital arachnoid cyst managed with cystoperitoneal shunt, both of whom were later discovered to have developed flattened prepontine cistern and imaging findings of overcrowding of the posterior cranial fossa.

CONCLUSION: These cases demonstrate that flattening of the prepontine cisterns and acquired posterior cranial fossa overcrowding may be a potential fall out in patients with cystoperitoneal shunt due to an arachnoid cyst.