Do arachnoid cysts grow? A retrospective CT volumetric study.

The volumes of intracranial arachnoid cysts were measured in 136 CT scans of 86 patients. Absolute and relative cyst size was calculated. Left hemisphere and middle cranial fossa location prevailed. A slight negative correlation of relative cyst size with age (r = -0.21, NS) disappeared when analysis was restricted to the adult age group (greater than or equal to 20 years). After the sample was divided into two groups according to relative cyst size (cysts less than mean volume vs cysts greater than mean volume), small AC showed no correlation with age, while large AC correlated positively with age (r = 0.79, P less than 0.05). A subgroup of large AC appears to expand with time, while the majority of small AC remain unchanged.