Colloid cysts of the third ventricle: fatal outcomes associated with unusual presentation.

It is always unfortunate when benign, surgically removable lesions cause unnecessary death. In three of five cases of third ventricular colloid cyst the patients presented with or developed severe headache which was like no other they had experienced before. The headache was of long enough duration to enable detection and removal of the cyst before its fatal outcome. In one case involving a fight it was considered that the third vetricular colloid cyst played an important part in the fatal outcome. In the fifth case the patient was found dead in bed without any preceding history of illness.