Intracranial arachnoid cysts in dogs.

Abstract

Intracranial arachnoid cyst (IAC) is an infrequently reported developmental disorder seen primarily in small-breed dogs. It usually occurs in the caudal fossa, in the region of the quadrigeminal cistern. Although still considered uncommon, IAC is being recognized more frequently in veterinary medicine, coinciding with the increased availability of magnetic resonance imaging. In this article, clinical information from previously reported cases of canine IAC is combined with additional case information from our hospitals. Similar to IAC in people, it is thought that canine IAC is often an incidental finding. When IAC is responsible for neurologic disease in dogs, generalized seizures and cerebellovestibular dysfunction are the most common clinical presentations. Medical therapy of IAC focuses on management of increased intracranial pressure and seizures, if the latter are part of the clinical complaints. Surgical therapy of IAC involves either cyst fenestration or shunting the excess fluid to the peritoneal cavity