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Intracranial aneurysms are rare in children and have different epidemiological, clinical, and morphological characteristics and outcome from those in adults. We analyzed demographic, clinical, radiologic features, treatment, and outcome in 55 patients

Arachnoid cysts are benign developmental cysts occurring most commonly in the middle fossa. Posterior fossa arachnoid cysts are less common, with retroclival arachnoid cysts especially in the pediatric age group being rare. We present a case of a retroclival interpeduncular farachnoid cyst in a 10-year-old boy who presented with left-sided ptosis and episodes of hysterical breathlessness. The surgical treatment involved endoscopic assisted microsurgical excision of the cyst and the child made an uneventful and complete recovery with complete cessation of breathlessness. The clinical presentation, etiopathogenesis, imaging characteristics and treatment modalities are discussed and the relevant literature reviewed.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the recurrence pattern and significance of various clinical and histological features as predictors of recurrence in pediatric craniopharyngiomas. Methods: A series of 116 pediatric craniopharyngiomas (68 boys and 48 girls; age range, 1.6-18 years) was reviewed. Mean follow-up period was 18.53 months. Tumors recurred in 15 patients within 96 months [mean recurrence-free survival (RFS), 12.67 months]. Of the recurrence cases, 2 had complete (mean RFS, 16 months) and 13 had subtotal tumor excision (mean RFS, 9.03 months). Histologically, an adamantinous pattern was seen in 95% of cases, whereas a papillary pattern was noted in 5%. Brain tissue was included in 41 cases. In 32 of 41 cases, brain invasion was noted, and all were of adamantinous histology. No correlation was noted of histopathological subtyping or brain invasion with recurrence. Conclusions: The significant clinical factors associated with recurrence included extent of resection, tumor size >4 cm, and cystic tumors.

Background: Presence of heterotopic dysplastic renal tissue in the lumbosacral region is an extremely uncommon condition. Case report: We report the first case of diastematomyelia associated with ectopic renal tissue. A 10-month-old male child presented with lipomeningomyelocele associated with spina bifida in the lumbosacral region, and the lipoma was excised. Imaging of the spine at 5 years of age showed spina bifida, bony diastematomyelia, lipomeningomyelocele and a small intraspinal cystic lesion. The boy was then operated upon at the age of 5 years, and histopathological examination of the cystic lesion revealed ectopic dysplastic renal tissue.

Intracranial aneurysms are rarely present in the paediatric age group, and such aneurysms within the anterior circulation are even more rare. Intracranial aneurysms in children differ from adult aneurysms in size, distribution, and incidence of symptoms. We report a 3-year-old girl with an anterior communicating artery aneurysm, who presented with subarachnoid haemorrhage. The patient underwent a pterional craniotomy and clipping of the aneurysm. The postoperative period was uneventful. We review the literature and discuss the characteristics of aneurysms in early childhood.