Objective To investigate surgical indications,techniques and effects for intraeranial arachnoid cyst in children. Methods Clinical data from 82 surgical cases were analyzed retrospectively,and different methods of operation were analyzed comparatively.Four operation-methods were adopted,in which cyst removal were performed in 19,cyst removal plus cisternal opening in 23,cyst-peritoneal shunt in 28,and cyst-peritoneal drainage in 16.Results Upon following up from six months to five years after operation,the chief symptoms got improved in 89.0% of the patients,and CT or MRI scan showed that the size of cvst became smaller in 72 of the patients.Four operation methods were compared,cyst removal was not better than the other three operation methods.Conclusions The treatment of operation methods could make the svmptoms improved and the cyst thrunk of intracranial arachnoid cyst in children.The operation of cyst removal plus cisternal opening or cyst-peritoneal shunt and cyst-peritoneal drainage is preferred.