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Prevalence and symptoms of intracranial arachnoid cysts: a population-based study

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Abstract

To investigate the prevalence of intracranial arachnoid cysts in a large population-based sample. We also aimed to assess the association between arachnoid cysts and cognitive impairment, depression, epilepsy, headache, dizziness, previous head trauma, hip fractures, and mortality. A population-based cohort and nested case–control study. The sample comprised representative populations (n = 1235) aged ≥70 years. All participants underwent baseline neuropsychiatric examinations, including computed tomography (CT) of the brain, between 1986 and 2000. All CT scans were examined for arachnoid cysts. Headache, dizziness, history of head trauma, dementia, depression, epilepsy, and hip fracture were assessed using data from clinical examinations, interviews and the Swedish hospital discharge register. Cognition was assessed using the Mini-Mental Status Examination, and depressive symptoms using the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. Date of death was obtained from the National Swedish Death Registry. The prevalence of arachnoid cysts was 2.3 % (n = 29), with no significant difference between men and women. Probands with and without cysts had the same frequency of headache, dizziness, previous head trauma, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, there were no differences regarding the prevalence of dementia, depression, epilepsy, or previous hip fracture. Arachnoid cysts were not associated with increased mortality. Arachnoid cysts are common incidental finding, with the same rate in men and women, and are probably asymptomatic. The lack of relation with symptoms like headache, dizziness and cognitive impairment suggest caution in ascribing symptoms to incidentally discovered arachnoid cysts and a restrictive attitude to treatment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Tina Jacobsson and Cecilia Mellqvist for helping with the planning and coordination of the study and Mats Tullberg for helping with the initial assessments of the CT images. Funding was received from the Swedish Foundation for Neurological Research (ISNF), Edit Jacobson’s Foundation, Rune and Ulla Amlövs Foundation, John and Brit Wennerström Foundation, Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, the Alzheimer Association, and Sahlgrenska University Hospital (ALF). The funders had no role in the study design, the collection and analysis of the data, the data interpretation, or the writing of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Katrin Rabiei, Daniel Jaraj, Thomas Marlow, Ingmar Skoog & Carsten Wikkelsø

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Blå Stråket 5, SE-413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Katrin Rabiei

  3. Hydrocephalus Research Unit, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Katrin Rabiei, Daniel Jaraj & Carsten Wikkelsø

  4. Centre for Health and Ageing, AGECAP, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Daniel Jaraj, Thomas Marlow & Ingmar Skoog

  5. Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Christer Jensen

Authors
  1. Katrin Rabiei
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  2. Daniel Jaraj
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  3. Thomas Marlow
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  4. Christer Jensen
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  5. Ingmar Skoog
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  6. Carsten Wikkelsø
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Correspondence to Katrin Rabiei.

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Conflicts of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest. Dr. Katrin Rabiei reports no disclosures. Dr. Daniel Jaraj reports no disclosures. Thomas Marlow reports no disclosures. Dr. Christer Jensen reports no disclosures. Dr. Carsten Wikkelsø reports no disclosures. Dr. Ingmar Skoog reports grants from the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, the Alzheimer Association, and Sahlgrenska University Hospital (ALF).

Ethical standards

The Ethics Committee for Medical Research at Gothenburg University approved all the studies that have included participants in this study.

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Rabiei, K., Jaraj, D., Marlow, T. et al. Prevalence and symptoms of intracranial arachnoid cysts: a population-based study. J Neurol 263, 689–694 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-016-8035-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-016-8035-1

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