Percutaneous Treatment of Meckel Cave Arachnoid Cyst: Case Report, Surgical Strategy and Literature Review
Arq. bras. neurocir; 39 (1), 2020
Publication year: 2020
Arachnoid cysts are benign intracranial lesions. They are usually located in the middle
fossa, but can be found in other locations. We present a case of symptomatic Meckel
cave (MC) arachnoid cyst - a very rare location - and a treatment strategy not elsewhere
described before for this condition. A 54-year-old female with trigeminal neuralgia with
previous history of radiofrequency rhizotomy treatment 6 years before admission had
been experiencing pain recurrence with progression, which required successive
increases in carbamazepine dosage. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed
dilatation of the right MC with extension to the petrous apex. The lesion was
compatible with arachnoid cyst, and due to the worsening of the clinical condition,
surgical treatment was chosen. Percutaneous puncture of the cyst through the
foramen ovale with injection of intracystic fibrin sealant was performed. The patient
woke up from anesthesia with pain improvement and was discharged asymptomatic
the next day. After 12 months of follow-up, she remained pain-free. In the literature
review, we found only eight cases reported as MC arachnoid cyst. These are likely to
progress and become symptomatic owing to their communication with the subarachnoid
space and a unidirectional valve mechanism. Pain improvement with this
technique is probably secondary to the interruption of these mechanisms.