Colloid cyst of the third ventricle

ABSTRACT

The colloid cyst of the 3rd ventricle is a rare tumor [1% of the intracranial tumors]. It is a benign tumor of the young adult. The definite diagnosis is radiologic particularly. The curative treatment is above all surgical. We report 3 cases of colloid cyst explored by computerized tomography [3 cases]. The mean age of the patients is 22.5 years old [6-35 years old], with a sex-ratio equal to 2. The signs of intracranial high blood pressure have been the mode of discovery in the 3 cases. The definite diagnosis has been based on the cerebral computerized tomography, realized in the 3 cases before and after injection by iodized contrast product with axial slices in 3 cases and coronal axial slices in 2 cases. It visualized round and well limited mass localized in the anterosuperior part of the 3rd ventricle that measured respectively 1.1; 1.5 and 2.5 cm. This mass is spontaneously hyperdense [about 60 UH], not modified after the injection of the contrast product. It is the cause of biventricular hydrocephalus in the 3 cases. The palliative treatment consisted in a ventriclo-peritoneal derivation in the 3 patients. Any patient underwent the cyst ablation. They are still coming for medical advice. The colloid cyst of the 3rd ventricle is a pathology that benefitted from the imaging progresses particularly the computerized tomography and the imaging by magnetic reasonance. Indeed, the radiology permits not only to arrive at the definite diagnosis of the colloid cyst, but also to orientate the therapeutic procedure when it is about stereotaxic aspiration