Rathke's cleft cyst

A Rathke's cleft cyst is a benign growth found on the pituitary gland in the brain, specifically a fluid-filled cyst in the posterior portion of the anterior pituitary gland.[1][2] It occurs when the Rathke's pouch does not develop properly, and ranges in size from 2 to 40mm in diameter.[2]

Asymptomatic cysts are common, detected during autopsies of 2 to 26 percent of individuals who have died of unrelated causes. Females are twice as likely as males to have a cyst.[2] Symptomatic cysts can trigger visual disturbances, pituitary dysfunction and headaches.[1] Close to half of symptomatic individuals have a visual disturbance, with less common symptoms including diabetes insipidus, amenorrhoea, and galactorrhea.[2]

The treatment of choice for symptomatic cysts is drainage and taking a biopsy.[3][4] Radical excision is more dangerous, because it damages surrounding brain structures, and can cause more bleeding.

The first Rathke's cleft cyst recognized was found during an autopsy in 1913.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Rathke's Cleft Cyst". UCLA. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Omar Islam (2008-05-28). "Rathke Cleft Cyst: Overview". Web MD. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  3. ↑ Omar Islam (2008-05-28). "Rathke Cleft Cyst: Follow-up". Web MD. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24.
  4. ↑ Marcella Koch, Benjamin White, Kar-Ming Fung (2004-02-30 [sic]). "A 45 year-old man with a sellar mass". Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2009-08-02. Check date values in: |date= (help)