ECT in the Presence of Arachnoid Cyst: Case Series From China

Out on Pubmed, from authors in China, is this paper:

The Efficacy and Tolerability of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Psychiatric Patients with Arachnoid Cysts: A Retrospective Chart Study.

Lu Y, Tian Y, Gan Y, Fu Y, Chen Q, Zou L, Zhao B, Yan Y, Liu S, Chen X, Li X.Brain Sci. 2022 Oct 15;12(10):1393. doi: 10.3390/brainsci12101393.PMID: 36291326


The abstract is copied below:
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective therapy for many psychiatric illnesses. However, intracranial occupying lesions are a relative contraindication to ECT. Arachnoid cysts are benign, congenital, and space-occupying lesions. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of ECT in psychiatric patients with arachnoid cysts. We retrospectively identified 62 psychiatric patients with arachnoid cysts; 43 of them underwent ECT and 19 did not. Their conditions were assessed by CGI-S and different scales depending on different diagnoses (PANSS for schizophrenia; HAMD for depression; YMRS for bipolar disorder). The side effect was assessed by TESS. Significant differences were shown in the reduced scores of the CGI-S between patients who underwent ECT and those who did not (p = 0.001), while, at the same time, there was no significant difference in their TESS score (p = 0.297). The current study found that ECT is an effective and tolerable therapy for psychiatric patients with arachnoid cysts.

Keywords: ECT; arachnoid cysts; bipolar disorder; depression; psychiatry; retrospective study; schizophrenia.

The paper is here.

And from the text:

Another study from China, this one with the overall message that ECT is safe in the presence of arachnoid cyst. It is a retrospective chart review, and quite idiosyncratic, with many shortcomings. Using the TESS as an outcome measure, without any specific comments about peri-procedural adverse events seems very peculiar.
The review of the neurology of arachnoid cysts is good; that, plus the overall message of safety, is about all we can take from this report.



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