Rathke cleft cysts.

Three cases of Rathke cleft cyst are presented. The clinical symptoms were disturbances of visual acuity and visual fields, and a functional disorder of the hypophysis. In two cases, there were associated meningeal signs. This meningitis was considered to be aseptic and ascribable to leakage of the cyst contents into the subarachnoid space. In one patient, the cyst extended to the suprasellar cistern; a computed tomography scan revealed an enhanced capsule, high-density spotting in a low-density area inside the cyst, and enhanced areas. In another patient, the tumor was localized in the sella turcica; high-density spotting was seen. Based on this finding, we suggest that computed tomography scanning facilitates differentiation from other sellar lesions to some degree. Electron microscopic studies of a cyst with cilia revealed the presence of a coating material around cells with microvilli. On the basis of this finding, Rathke cleft cysts may be considered to be namely, endodermal, inclusions from the upper respiratory tract.