Brain Third Ventricular Colloid (Colloid) Cysts
What is it? Colloid cysts originating from the roof of the pool in the middle of the brain called the third ventricle are extremely rare benign tumors. Although the cell type they originate from has not been fully elucidated, they are thought to be of endodermal origin because they contain ciliated cells that produce a slippery and dense secretion like mucin secreted from the mucous membranes.
What symptoms are seen? By clogging the pool system through which the cerebrospinal fluid circulates, they cause this fluid to pool and thus increase the intracranial pressure. They can cause headaches, dizziness, memory lapses, double vision, sometimes behavioral changes and even sudden death.
How are they treated? Despite their benign nature, their diagnosis and treatment are of vital importance due to their critical location in the brain. Using microsurgical methods, operating and total removal from the midline and between the two cerebral hemispheres (interhemispheric transcallosal) or proceeding from the cerebral cortex and lateral pool (transcortical transventricular) provides absolute treatment. Ventriculo-peritoneal shunts, ie permanent evacuation tube systems, which are applied to drain the pooled cerebrospinal fluid under the peritoneum, have not been widely applied in recent years due to both being an indirect treatment method and the risk of infection and obstruction. In the recent endoscopic method, even if the cyst content is removed, the surrounding capsule tissue cannot always be removed, so there is a possibility of recurrence of the cyst. Interhemispheric transcallosal method was modified to prevent possible post-operative memory loss and the rate of uncomplicated surgery increased
Assoc. Dr. S. Baki Albayrak
