Newborn frontal horn cysts: cause for concern?

Objective:to document the incidence, natural history and compare neurodevelopmental outcome of newborns with and without frontal horn cysts (fhc).study design:this was a case–control study. newborns with and without fhc were identified and matched for demographics and worst cranial ultrasound scan (cus) findings. neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed at 18 to 24 months.result:a total of 30 fhc cases were identified from medical imaging database. twenty-five cases occurred in preterm ⩽32 weeks gestation with an incidence of 1% (25 of 2340). the diagnosis was made on the initial cus in 28 cases. the cyst size and number varied from 1 to 18 mm and 1 to 6 respectively with no change noted on repeat cus during hospital stay. neurodevelopmental outcomes were not statistically significantly different between the groups.conclusion:fhc are not uncommon in the newborn period. they appear to be benign with no impact on neurodevelopmental outcome. this information is vital for counseling parents of infants with fhc.