Treatment Strategies for Unknown Anatomic Pathology Ventriculus Terminalis Case Series: Single Center Experience

Abstract

The ventriculus terminalis is a cavity in the conus medullaris, bounded by ependymal cells, associated with the central canal. It is an anatomical structure that is very rare in adults, with a limited number of surgical cases that have been reported in the literature. In children, it is regarded as a normal congenital variation, known to regress before five years of age, and very few symptomatic cases have been reported in both pediatric and adult populations. It is often asymptomatic in adults and is detected incidentally. Although potentially nonsignificant individually, symptoms can range from nonspecific low back pain to sphincter dysfunction and focal neurologic deficits. Our purpose is to discuss our management strategy in comparison to the existing literature. A retrospective review was conducted of all adult patients (aged 17 years and older) diagnosed with ventriculus terminalis who were referred to the hospital between 2010 and 2020. Clinical classification was made according to the classification defined by Batista. In addition, Ganau's classification was also used. Five patients were included in the study. The majority of these patients (n=4, 80%) were symptomatic at the time of diagnosis, with nonspecific back pain being the most common symptom (n=3, (60%). None of the patients required neurosurgical intervention during the follow-up period of 21.6±8.9 months, as there was no clinical deterioration observed. Ventriculus terminalis is a rare pathology that may develop de novo in adults, often remaining undiagnosed until the cyst enlarges, and can manifest with a wide spectrum of symptoms. When identified, it requires careful management, involving surgery when necessary and a conservative approach when appropriate.