Seizures and Postictal Psychosis in a Patient With Retrocerebellar Arachnoid Cyst: A Case Report

Abstract

Retrocerebellar arachnoid cysts are uncommon intracranial tumors, especially rare in adults. Although asymptomatic in the majority of cases, they may cause a variety of symptoms including convulsions. The causal involvement of these cysts in postictal psychosis, however, remains a topic that is not well-explained in the literature. An 85-year-old Asian man presented with recurrent episodes of convulsions for the last seven months along with preceding headaches and postictal psychotic symptoms. MRI of the head revealed a retrocerebellar arachnoid cyst. He was commenced on symptomatic pharmacological therapy after he refused surgical intervention and remained symptom-free till his discharge from the hospital before being eventually lost to follow-up. This case report focuses on the rare occurrence of a retrocerebellar arachnoid cyst with seizures and postictal psychosis and illustrates the necessity of further case studies and research to identify and explore the potential causal relationship between arachnoid cysts and psychosis.