Cavum septum pellucidum cyst in children: a case-based update

Background

Cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) cysts are rare lesions which are frequently asymptomatic. Some clinical findings may be associated with CSP cysts, such as headache and other symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, neurological deficit, and mental status changes. There is still controversy in the management of symptomatic cases, especially in children. The main difficulty is to establish a correlation between symptoms and the cyst. When indicated, the treatment is essentially surgical, and the ideal operative technique is also a matter of debate.

Case report

We present a case of a 14-year-old boy with a symptomatic CSP cyst who was successfully treated by neuronavigation-assisted neuroendoscopy with a bilateral fenestration. A literature review is provided with regard to clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome in children.

Conclusion

The treatment is considered whenever there is an association of a CSP cyst on imaging studies and symptoms attributable to the obstruction of the cerebrospinal fluid flow or direct compression of surrounding structures by the cyst. Endoscopic fenestration is a less invasive and highly effective technique, and is currently the treatment of choice for such lesions in children.