A case of a benign pineal cyst in a 70-year-old man who presented with hydrocephalus and apoplexy is reported. Surgical exploration revealed subarachnoid and intracystic haemorrhage. The patient also had bilateral impairment of hearing which improved after excision of the cyst. Patients with a pineal cyst with apoplexy or subarachnoid bleed reported in the literature are reviewed.