Acute Urinary Retention Induced by Chemical Meningitis Which Occurred Due to a Ruptured Dermoid Cyst

Asymptomatic traumatic rupture of an intracranial dermoid cyst: A case report

BACKGROUND

Previous studies reported that most of the intracranial dermoid cyst ruptures were spontaneous, and only a few were traumatic, with asymptomatic much rarer than the symptomatic ruptures. Hence, how to deal with the asymptomatic traumatic rupture of intracranial dermoid cyst remains a challenge in the clinic.

CASE SUMMARY

A 59-year-old man was accidentally diagnosed with intracranial dermoid cyst through a cranial computed tomography (CT) scan due to a car accident. A mixed-density lesion with fat and a calcified margin was observed in the midline of the posterior fossa, accompanied with lipid droplet drifts in brain sulci, fissures, cisterns, and ventricles. After 1 wk of conservative observation, no change was observed on the updated cranial CT scan. After 2 wk of conservative observation, magnetic resonance imaging examination confirmed that the lesion was a traumatic rupture of a posterior fossa dermoid cyst with lipid droplet drifts. As the patient exhibited no adverse symptoms throughout the 2 wk, a 6-mo follow-up visit was arranged for him instead of aggressive treatment. Nonetheless, the patient did not show any abnormal neurological symptoms in the 6 mo of follow-up visits.

CONCLUSION

Asymptomatic traumatic rupture of intracranial dermoid cyst could be just followed or treated conservatively rather than treated aggressively.

Chemical Meningitis after a Golf Swing-induced Dermoid Cyst Rupture

A 51-year-old man developed a sudden headache during golf practice, followed by a high fever. He was admitted with suspected neutrophilic meningitis and was diagnosed with chemical meningitis caused by a dermoid cyst rupture based on the characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, which showed multiple lipid droplets in his ventricle and cistern. His repetitive golf-swing motion was suggested to be the cause of his dermoid cyst rupture. On MRI, the lipid droplets appeared to have migrated by gravity because of the body position. Therefore, the body position should be considered to prevent obstructive hydrocephalus by lipid droplets after a dermoid cyst rupture.