Third ventricular colloid cysts in children - a series of eight cases and review of the literature.

AIM Colloid cysts are uncommon lesions, which most commonly occur in the fourth through seventh decade. The authors hereby report a series of colloid cysts in the pediatric age group. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective study was conducted on all patients of colloid cyst that underwent surgery at our institute over a period of seven years (2005 to 2011). Patients above the age of 20 were excluded from the study. RESULTS All eight patients presented with the features of raised intracranial pressure. All these patients had the characteristic radiological features of a colloid cyst. Of these eight pediatric patients, endoscopic removal was attempted in four. In one of these four, the colloid cyst could not be removed endoscopically and had to be converted into transcortical transventricular excision. In one more patient, transcortical transventricular excision was used, while transcallosal approach was performed in three patients. Of the three patients who underwent endoscopy, one patient additionally underwent septostomy and one patient additionally underwent septostomy along with third ventriculostomy. One of the patients succumbed to ventriculitis. CONCLUSION Colloid cysts in the young are thought to be more aggressive clinically and radiologically and therefore, early surgical intervention is indicated.