A rare cause of drop attacks in a young male

A drop attack is defined as a sudden fall to the ground without any obvious external cause and also without associated loss of consciousness.Patients usually recover their balance and normal function quickly after a drop attack, though they may sustain injuries from the fall.Causes can vary and include inner ear disorders such as Meniere's disease, atonic seizures, vestibular neuronitis, cardiac valvular disorders, and sometimes functional disorders.Some drop attacks are considered idiopathic, meaning no cause is found after thorough medical evaluation, especially in elderly patients.A colloid cyst is a benign brain tumor in the third ventricle that can cause "drop attacks" by suddenly obstructing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and leading to temporary brainstem compression [1].We present a case of a young man with headache and drop attacks who was found to have a colloid cyst with hydrocephalus.This 35-year-old male patient with no prior comorbidities presented with a 3-month history of intermittent occipital headaches associated with neck pain.The pain used to worsen on bending forwards and coughing and used to be worse in the recumbent position.There was no history of associated fever, nausea, or vomiting.He also had two episodes of sudden fall to the ground with buckling of the legs.There was no loss of consciousness, tongue bite, or incontinence.There was no prior history of seizures or family history of epilepsy.General examination and vital signs were normal with no postural fall of blood pressure.Cardiac examination was normal.Neurological examination, including cranial nerves, motor, and sensory examination, was within normal limits.There were no meningeal signs.Routine blood investigations were within normal limits.An electroencephalogram was done, which showed no abnormalities.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain showed a large colloid cyst of the third ventricle causing obstruction of the foramina of Monro and hydrocephalus (Figs. 1 and 2).MRI T2 sequences showed a well-defined ovoid cystic lesion measuring 3.9*2.9*3.2 cm expanding the third ventricle and Access this article online