The endocrine spectrum of intracranial cysts in childhood and review of the literature.

Intracranial cysts (ICC) may cause a wide spectrum of endocrinological disorders. We evaluated 27 patients who were diagnosed with ICC during investigation for neuroendocrine dysfunctions and reviewed the relevant literature. The types of ICC in the patients were arachnoid cysts (n = 13); Rathke cleft cysts (n = 7); pineal cysts (n = 5); an ependymal cyst (n = 1) and a cavum septum pellucidum cyst (n = 1). The neuroendocrine dysfunctions of the patients were obesity (n = 7), isolated growth hormone deficiency (n = 6), central precocious puberty (n = 6), multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (n = 3), central diabetes insipidus (n = 1), growth hormone deficiency and central precocious puberty (n = 1), obesity and galactorrhea (n = 1), obesity and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (n = 1) and growth hormone neurosecretory dysfunction (n = 1). Only three patients, who had arachnoid cysts, showed neurologic symptomatology. Although three patients underwent surgery, no improvements in endocrinological dysfunctions were observed. ICC should be considered when evaluating patients with endocrinological problems and patients with coincidental ICC should be recommended for follow-up.