Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41973251›Full record

SynthesisChild's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery2026

The role of age and Galassi type in management and surgical outcomes of pediatric middle fossa arachnoid cysts: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abigail Jenkins, Mina Guirguis, Parker Smith, Gillian Witten, Soummitra Anand, Jason Wang, Michael Farid, Sean O'Leary, Umaru Barrie, Bruno P Braga

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Abigail JenkinsDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA. Abigail.Jenkins@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Mina GuirguisDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA.
Parker SmithDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA.
Gillian WittenDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA.
Soummitra AnandDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA.
Jason WangDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA.
Michael FaridWeill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
Sean O'LearyDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
Umaru BarrieDepartment of Neurological Surgery, New York University, New York City, NY, USA.
Bruno P BragaDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeArachnoid cysts are found in approximately 2.6% of the pediatric population, mostly asymptomatic, incidental findings. However, those with mass effect symptoms from cyst growth may require surgery. Because of the variability in progression, we investigated the interaction of patient age with middle fossa arachnoid cyst (MFAC) clinical outcomes.

methodsA systematic review using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science electronic databases was completed according to the PRISMA guidelines to identify articles detailing pediatric MFACs.

resultsSixty articles meeting the inclusion criteria, totaling 1024 patients, were included. Signs of elevated ICP (194/873, prevalence: 22.2%, 95% CI: 19.5-25.0%) and primary headaches (263/873, prevalence: 30.1%, 95% CI: 27.1-33.2%) were the most common presenting symptoms. In the evaluation of the hemispheric location of MFACs, younger ages at presentation were more likely to present with bilateral MFACs (OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.52-0.98, p = 0.034). Most MFACs in the retrospective studies had left laterality (421/677, prevalence: 62.2%, 95% CI: 58.6-65.1%) and were singular (791/817, prevalence:96.8%, 95% CI: 95.6-98.2%). A higher proportion of younger patients required a second operation (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.72-0.93, p = 0.002) and cerebrospinal fluid shunting (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79-0.97, p = 0.011) across the case reports. There was no significant difference in complications when comparing older children (5-18 years) to young children (≤ 4 years) (p = 0.737) or Galassi type (p = 0.736), but Galassi type 1 was associated with management through observation (p = 0.019).

conclusionYounger patients presented with a higher rate of bilateral MFACs and required more invasive treatment methods and repeat operations more frequently, suggesting that infants and young children with MFACs may require greater surveillance during and after management to minimize complications.

Indexed as

Arachnoid CystsCranial Fossa, MiddleNeurosurgical ProceduresAge FactorsChildChild, PreschoolHumansTreatment OutcomeAgeArachnoid cystsGalassi typeMFACMiddle fossaPediatric

Identifiers

PMID41973251
PMCPMC13076412

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.