Perigeniculate arachnoid cysts and CSF fistulae of the fallopian canal: Histopathologic correlates of a rare clinical entity

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Perigeniculate arachnoid cysts and CSF fistulae of the fallopian canal: Histopathologic correlates of a rare clinical entity Via leak of cerebrospinal fluid World J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021 Jan 24;7(2):71-81. doi: 10.1016/j.wjorl.2020.12.005. eCollection 2021 Apr. ABSTRACT Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulae originating from the fallopian canal of the facial nerve is hypothesized to arise due to atypical patterns of subarachnoid space extension into the geniculate ganglion or more distal regions along the intratemporal course of the facial nerve, but its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Although a rare etiology of CSF fistulae of the temporal bone, there are significant clinical ramifications due to the risk of recurrent meningitis, difficulty in identifying the anatomic location of the CSF leak, and technical challenges associated with surgical repair. We present three clinical cases of arachnoid cysts within the geniculate fossa with or without CSF fistulization and provide histopathologic correlates of this rare clinical phenomenon from a human temporal bone collection. The pediatric and adult patients presented suggest differential pathophysiologic mechanisms associated with CSF fistulae. Temporal bone histology reveals atypical patterns of subarachnoid space extension in the fallopian canal that may underlie arachnoid cyst formation and overt CSF leak from the geniculate region. PMID:33997715 | PMC:PMC8103539 | DOI:10.1016/j.wjorl.2020.12.005 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.