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Neuroradiology
Published in: Neuroradiology 12/2017

01-12-2017 | Paediatric Neuroradiology

Follow-up of pineal cysts in children: is it necessary?

Authors: Miro-Pekka Jussila, Päivi Olsén, Niina Salokorpi, Maria Suo-Palosaari

Published in: Neuroradiology | Issue 12/2017

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Abstract

Purpose

Pineal cysts are common incidental findings in children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Several studies have suggested MRI follow-up if the cyst is larger than 10 mm. However, cysts do not usually change during follow-up. Prevalence, growth, and structure of the pineal cysts were analyzed to decide if follow-up MRI is necessary.

Methods

A retrospective review between 2010 and 2015 was performed using 3851 MRI examinations of children aged 0–16 years to detect pineal cysts having a maximum diameter ≥ 10 mm. Eighty-one children with pineal cysts were identified and 79 of them had been controlled by MRI. Cysts were analyzed for the size, growth, and structure.

Results

A total of 1.8% of the children had a pineal cyst with a diameter ≥ 10 mm. Cysts were present in 48 girls (59.3%) and 33 boys (40.7%). Most pineal cysts (70/79) did not significantly grow during the follow-up (median 10 months, range 3–145 months). A total of 11.4% (9/79) of the cysts grew with the biggest change measured from the outer cyst wall sagittal anteroposterior dimension (mean 3.4 mm ± 1.7 mm). Only one cyst grew more than 5 mm. We found no factors correlating with the cyst growth among 9 cysts that grew > 2 mm.

Conclusions

A majority of pineal cysts remained unchanged during the MRI follow-up. Results of this study suggest that routine MRI follow-up of pineal cysts is not necessary in the absence of unusual radiological characteristics or related clinical symptoms.
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Metadata
Title
Follow-up of pineal cysts in children: is it necessary?
Authors
Miro-Pekka Jussila
Päivi Olsén
Niina Salokorpi
Maria Suo-Palosaari
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Neuroradiology / Issue 12/2017
Print ISSN: 0028-3940
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-017-1926-8

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