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 told i have brain cyst, i am very scared, can somebody answer my questions?
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| Author | Topic: told i have brain cyst, i am very scared, can somebody answer my questions? | Page views: |
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peggypooh Junior Member  Posts: 6 |
posted 08-12-2003 06:33 AM
  
hello everyone, i havent been on the boards in quite awhile, but i got alot of help last year, so here goes...i had neck surgury 8 monthes ago. kept getting worse,cant walk sometimes, cant pick up a coffee cup in the morning, joints are swelling. well to make a long story short, my neurosurgon sent me to a neuroligist. he recently sent me for 2 mris, one of the lower back to see if my stenosis had moved down there, and one of my brain to check for MS. he also did a bunch of blood work,checking for rhuemetiod and some other stuff. well i got a phone call yesterday at work, yes i said work. he told me that i have a cyst on my brain, now i was completely knocked for a loop. this wasnt something i was even being checked for.i was also angry that he called me on the phone i felt he should have asked me to the office. said he will do another mri at the end of the month. okay here is my questions, what is a cyst ? can it turn into a tumor or are they already a tumor by another name. can they burst? cause i have had cysts burst in my abdomin before i had a hysterectomy. i am very very scared, could somebody please give alittle information in terms that i can understand. i am going to call my pcp, cause he is pretty good at helping me understand, but he is on vacation and i need something to ease my mind, or at least a place to start. thank you and god bless you!!!peggy IP: Logged |
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banjoboy Member Posts: 26 |
posted 08-12-2003 06:52 AM
Peggy, I am going through a similar experience, except I got my news in the mail and now my Neurologist is on vacation for the next 2 weeks. Did he say what type/location the cyst is, there are several different categories ?? From what I have discovered about my "moderate sized arachnoid cyst" it is probably the least of my worries at present. It was only found whilst investigating potentially more serious lesions, again initially thought to be MS. I suggest you search the web to find simple explanations like from this Institute - "A brain cyst will usually compress and displace adjacent brain tissue. The degree of compression and displacement depends on the location and size of the cyst, which, in turn, determines the type and severity of symptoms. For example, cysts in "eloquent areas", such as the motor, somatosensory or visual cortex will be more prone to cause symptoms than those located, for instance, in the frontal cortex. A MRI can help diagnose a cyst, but usually a biopsy is required to be certain, in which case the cyst will often be removed. If a cyst is left in place, periodic MRIs may be required to monitor it." This doesn't help that much if, like us, we don't know the location. At least my radiographer identifield mine as "arachnoid" and emedicine says - "Arachnoid cysts often are an incidental finding on imaging and, usually, patients are asymptomatic even if the cyst is quite large. The most commonly associated clinical features are headache, calvarial bulging, and seizures, with focal neurologic signs occurring less frequently. Controversy surrounds the treatment of arachnoid cysts. Some clinicians advocate treating only patients with symptomatic cysts while others believe that even in asymptomatic patients, cysts should be decompressed to avoid future complications. The most effective surgical treatment appears to be excision of the outer cyst membrane and cystoperitoneal shunting." I think that means drill a hole, put a tube in to drain the fluid to another body cavity. Just keep asking and researching and let us know how you go on. I'll post again when my Neurologist has enough suntan. Brian [This message has been edited by banjoboy (edited 08-12-2003).] IP: Logged |
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Tigre Member Posts: 60 |
posted 08-15-2003 10:50 PM
I have been diagnosed with a pineal cyst which some doctors believe can cause dizziness, headaches, vision problems, seizures and so on. I say some because even my neurologist, whom I believe to be a very good doc, seems to think that is the least of my worries. He is going to have me go for another mri in a year to check if its grown or not. Most doctors, if any, want to do anything with these unless they get above 1 cm...mine is 5mm by 9mm. I agree that you need to find out what type of cyst it is and how large. Pineal cysts are from what ive read. sacs with spinal fluid in them. If your spinal fluid is out of whack that can cause back pain and problems with coordination. Get the info from your doctor and get educated on what type it is. If you dont feel your doc is giving you the right info or support by all means get a second or third oppinion if you have too. Dont get to upset, and I know thats hard, but become educated and go from there....best of luck to you and I definately hope that you get better quickly. IP: Logged |
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