Symptomatic ependymal cysts of the perimesencephalic and cerebello-pontine angle cisterns.

Primary intracranial ependymal cysts are extremely rare. These are congenital, benign ependyma lined, commonly intraparenchymal and uncommonly extraparenchymal cysts in leptomeningeal location of variable size seen in the adult life. The authors report two cases of symptomatic ependymal cysts: one in the perimesencephalic cistern in a 10-month-old infant presenting with delayed mile stones and another in the cerebello-pontine cistern in a morbidly obese 35-year-old woman with known benign intracranial hypertension now presenting with hemifacial spasm. Neurosurgical intervention was curative in both cases. Interesting clinical, radiological and histological features are presented and discussed. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.