Incidental Findings on Brain MRI

Two neurosurgeons provide information to help pediatricians manage children with common incidental findings on brain imaging.

Common incidental findings on brain imaging in children may lead to parental anxiety, in part due to the pediatrician's uncertainty about the significance of the findings. A recent review offers helpful information.

Arachnoid cysts are cerebrospinal fluid-filled congenital lesions that develop from the arachnoid membrane adjacent to the brain. They are found in 2.6% of children on brain MRI studies, most commonly in the middle fossa. Patients may be asymptomatic; headache, cognitive symptoms, seizures, and focal neurological signs are rare. Subdural hygroma or hematoma may develop after head trauma, which is a reason to discourage children with arachnoid cysts from participating in contact sports. Pediatricians can provide reassurance to par…

Reviewing Author

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics