The nation's leading supporter of biomedical research on disorders of the brain and nervous system. Arachnoid cysts are cerebrospinal fluid-filled sacs that may develop between the surface of the brain and the cranial base or on the arachnoid membrane one of the 3 membranes that cover the brain and the spinal cord. Most cases begin during infancy, however onset may be delayed until adolescence. Symptoms of an arachnoid cyst are related to the cyst size and location.
Small cysts are usually asymptomatic and are discovered only incidentally.
Arachnoid cysts most often occur in males. Treatment for arachnoid cysts is symptomatic. With treatment most individuals with arachnoid cysts do well. The goal of this research is to increase scientific understanding of these disorders and to find ways to prevent and treat them. Selected references Basauri, L, and Selman, J. Intracranial Arachnoid Cysts.