ABSTRACT
Arachnoid cysts are benign intracranial lesions that are typically diagnosed incidentally. They are divided into two types: congenital and acquired. Acquired arachnoid cysts are rare and usually arise after trauma, infection, or haemorrhage. In this report, a rare case of an iatrogenic multiloculated arachnoid cyst as an unusual complication of a skull base defect is presented. It extended extracranially into the sphenoid sinus, the ethmoid, the infratemporal fossa, the nasopharynx and the nasal cavity, as well as into the pterygomaxillary and retromaxillary space, appearing with a distinct clinical picture. We discuss the differential diagnosis and the potential causes of the lesion and provide a brief review of the literature.
Subject(s)
Angiofibroma/surgery , Arachnoid Cysts/etiology , Craniotomy/adverse effects , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/surgery , Postoperative Complications/etiology , Skull Base/pathology , Adult , Arachnoid Cysts/diagnostic imaging , Arachnoid Cysts/surgery , Cranial Fossa, Middle , Dura Mater/pathology , Dura Mater/surgery , Humans , Iatrogenic Disease , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Mucocele/surgery , Nasal Cavity/diagnostic imaging , Nasopharynx/diagnostic imaging , Postoperative Complications/diagnostic imaging , Postoperative Complications/surgery , Radiography , Skull Base/surgery , Sphenoid Sinus/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Damage of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is very rare but can be a dramatic complication of endonasal sinus surgery. In the literature only a few cases are reported, some of them with fatal results. METHODS: We present two cases with massive bleeding of the ICA caused by endonasal sinus surgery. RESULTS: In both cases bleeding could be stopped sufficiently by implanting a stentgraft. CONCLUSION: The lumen of the artery could be preserved and no neurological deficits were observed.
