is a 2cm brain cyst fairly big

[audra30]

i've been having issues since may of 2009. first i had lung pain and lots of mucous, so i went to the doc and was treated for bronchitas. than by july i was still having lung pain and shortness of breath. i also had severe foot and leg pain and stiffness. my eyes starting bugging me and getting really fatigued. my eyes would close anywhere anytime. i had tons of blood taken checking fot arthritis type stuff and i had a x ray on my lungs. it showed tons of gunk in my lower lungs and once again put on antibiotics. all my blood work came back fine.

my eye fatigue started getting much worse to the point of falling asleep while driving and i started a constant forhead headache everyday. 2 months ago i started vaginally spotting everyday till present.

so last week i went in for an exam and she found an enlarged uterus and said hopefully the bleeding would stop soon. she ordered an mri for my head and eye problems. well i got the results yesterday and the nurse only said i had a cyst on my brain and i needed to follow up with the doc.the doc was not going to be in till next week so i got nervous and went and got the report. this is what it said........1ABNORMAL APPEARANCE OF THE TEMPORAL HORN OF THE RIGHT LATERAL VENTRICLE SUGGEST THE PRESENCE OF AN INTRAVENTRICULAR/POSSIBLY A CHOROID PLEXUS CYST MEASURING 2CM BY 1.2CM IN CRANIOCAUDAL AND TRANSVERSE DIMENSIONS. THE CYST APPEARS TO EXERT SLIGHT MASS EFFECT ON THE ADJACENT PARENCHYMA.
2PROMINENCE OF THE ADNOIDS. THE LINGUEL TONSILS ALSO APPEAR TO BE SOMEWHAT PROMINENT ON THE SAGITTAL PROJECTIONS.

what does this mean and is this a small cyst or big cyst and is this whats causing my visual problems or will the doc say thes cyst cannot be causing these kinds of symptoms? any help would be great.

[rumpled]

It would be more useful if you started a new thread. That being said, an arachnoid cyst is something that you were you born with likely and it got a bit bigger as you grew. Symptoms can depend on the location and the size.

You can be monitored if it not causing symptoms - I am not sure if your symptoms are nerves over knowing something is there (it is not in your brain BTW, it is in the lining around the brain) or if your are having symptoms from the pressure of the cyst.

Emails are not permitted.

For removal - they would take out the fluid and all or part of the lining around the cyst.

[rumpled]

Audra is not talking about a pituitary tumor. Everyone else seems to be talking about their pituitary lesions - and size of a pituitary lesion can be deceptive since it is the hormones that can create the issue.

However, for Audra, her issue is a cyst, and her cyst is located in the choroid plexis.  I found this on the internet:
"The choroid plexuses are structures in the ventricles (spaces) of the brain that produce the cerebrospinal fluid. Each plexus is made up of a network of capillary blood vessels covered by transporting epithelial cells."

I did some research, and all the research was  that fetuses develop them, and that they are not harmful.
"Occasionally fluid becomes trapped and forms pockets in the choroid plexus. These pockets of fluid are called  choroid plexus cysts (CPC). Choroid plexus cysts are seen during 1% to 3% of all mid-trimester prenatal ultrasound examinations [1]. The cysts may be seen in one or both sides of the brain, and generally have no effect on fetal development. However, choroid plexus cysts do have a weak association with fetal chromosome abnormalities."

[Roman8888]

I have an interventrical arachnoid cyst 10 mm in size. I am very scared. I do not know what to do. I can not eat and I feel vomitting everytime I think of it. Can someone help me please?

Thanks.
Roman
email;   ***@****

[taelanasmom]

I hope that you find a doctor to believe you. That can be the hard thing. My dad had a brain tumor, but he never went to the doctor and never complained. By the time they found it it was 5-6 cm, about the size of your fist balled up. It took years to get that big. Keep trying and searching for answers, don't let them give you "I don't know for and answer."

[rumpled]

I would beg to differ on the under 3mm part - it all depends on what hormone is being secreted.

And if you saw a proper doctor (neuro-endo) that is experienced in these such type lesions, you would get treated for your cyst/tumor - it may not be pressing on the optic nerve but if it grows into any place where it creates an issue, it may become inoperable later.

Malissa - I would seek another opinion. Any tumor over 10mm is considered a macroadenoma and is usually removed just on basis of its size.  Do you know what type of tumor it is?

[mmix1423]

okay first of all, any brain cyst or tumor under 3mm is nothing to worry about. they can be caused by headaches and many people have them. secondly, i don't know who you are talking to about brain tumors, but eye problems are a symptom of brain tumors. I have all of those same problems and i have a 3mm tumor on my front temporal lobe that is not a problem and a 13x8x9 mm complicated cyst in my pineal/ pituitary region. any questions email me ***@****

[testdeprived]

so the tumor wasnt the cause of the problems?

[malissa0218]

I have a Pituitary macroadenoma, and its 16cm. It was found because of the terrible headaches I had which were postural, like when I laid down the pain disipated but when sitting up it throbbed. Like a Spinal Headache. After many surgeons, neurologists endocrinologist, I finally found one that looked at my MRI and saw something that the others didn't. My Cerebral Spinal Fluid Level was low. (low level CSF) and sent me to have a blood patch done that same day. 1 week later my headaches were gone. I still have the tumor, but get yearly MRI's. I too was mad and wanted it out, but once the pain went away I was calmer, and I see now that it hasn't grown over the past few years. I also weaned myself off Paxil. I believe antidepressants increase the chance of Pituitary Tumors. (but that's my own belief). I also had fainting, vertigo, sinus pain at the time all this was happening. Couldn't drive much cause the "attack" would make it impossible to see the road.

[testdeprived]

sorry for the typing errors.

[testdeprived]

trust me audra  is ympothize with you heavily. its just hilarious that at 19, i ddiagnosed myself with this stuff, and that 3 genius specialtists keep telling me im nuts. i mean  i thought neurosurgeons were freakings geniuses?

its really sad. its al l about the money.

[audra30]

i am telling them how big my cyst is, where its located, what symptoms i have and how long i've had them for. if anyone of them says it might even be causing my symptoms than i'll get my referral for them.

i talked to my neurosurgeons nurse today who than confirmed that the doc was leaving it in and that theres no chance my symptoms are related. i feel than why go see him at all.

i don't want this thing to consume my life. i have 4 small kids to worry about. i just think the surgeon should really listen to the patient first and than use his training to deciode, not the other way around. we know our bodies best of all and i know for a fact that my issues started 6 months ago and now i know why. i have a big brain cyst.

[testdeprived]

what are you asking when you clal lthem? i might do that. in all reality the surgeon is what counts. when i went to the surgeon he saidd ''the doctor may have felt this was symptomatic but  i wont operate'' unfortunately for me tthe doctor didnt even think it was, so i insisted on seeing the surgeon.

in your case your neurologist sounded good. she got you an urgent appointment also.

[audra30]

well i have now learned that my cyst is actually 2.5cm and yes the surgeon is not impressed one bit. they made my appointment for jan 18th and i am not going. i am making phone calls to every neurologist until i find one that thinks my symptoms may be related. not only is this a big cyst but the mri showed slight mass effect to the surrounding tissue. i have been having episodes of electric shock severe pain behind my left eye. lasting for 30 sec. its paralyzing while its happening and this is a new problem. i also saw the eye doc and they see no significant change in my vision so thats not the cause for such severe visual disturbance. i want this thing out of my head. plus i had an mri 2 years ago and it was not there so it grew that large in less than 2 years. am i nuts or is this a big cyst. i know they can get bigger yet but most choroid cyst are less than 1cm.

[LivingInHope]

A linking hub had a little blurb on a search "showed the presence of a 7-cm cyst within the antrum of the right lateral ventricle" so I guess choroid plexus cysts could get even bigger.  Looked like that one was obstructive.  Sent you a private message.  May I offer a suggestion? What you might do is call daily to see if any cancellations have come up where you can get a sooner appointment with the surgeon.  I'd mention my symptoms each time you speak to someone new at the office when you try as well.

[testdeprived]

god i hate these surgeons. theyre useless.

[audra30]

i mean i'm worried that they will not remove it and i need to get rid of it if its operable. i cannot drive anymore and i just want my life back. the surgeon has already said that the symptoms have nothing to do with my cyst, so i'm worried he will refuse to operate. they did say that its pushing on surrounding tissue to i would have thought they would help me but now i'm worried.

[audra30]

thanks for the info. do u have any idea what this might mean or if this is small or big. i'm really nervous. i don't see the neurosurgeon for 2 weeks yet and they said thats pretty quick.

[LivingInHope]

I believe Audra was describing not a pituitary macroadenoma, but from a little research online and her typed up report, a cyst possibly inside one of the two largest ventricles in the brain (the right one) or on the choroid plexus, which is pia matter that is a fringe like process projecting into the ventricular cavity from a site I saw online.  

On another site, I see that the choroid plexus forms spinal fluid, which flows through the ventricles and that there are four connected ventricles or cavities in the brain.  It says the temporal lobe is involved in understanding sounds, the spoken word, as well as memory and emotion. And the area described in Audra's report I believe is at the right temporal lobe- that lobe of the head where your temple is located.

[testdeprived]

oh my bad i thought you said he removed your cyst. yeah screw that surgeon, i am getting more scared after hearing this. sometimes  i get scared ill commit an assault on the next doctor  i see lol.


im tired of this.

[testdeprived]

how am  i wrong? they treated you urgently and removed your cyst . i told you theyd think it was urgent due to your size. whats the problem though? your symptoms should be gone youre tumors free now!!

congrats lol.

[audra30]

well your wrong. i saw the fam doc this morning and she was very alarmed and got me an urgent referal to a neuro surgeon. well the surgeon reviewed my cyst and said these symptoms have nothing to do with my cyst. it will be 2-3 weeks before i can get in to see him. i know my eye issues and headache have to be involved. i am going to see a reg eye doc tomorrow and see if they can see any abnormalities. yikes now i'm getting worried. i cannot even drive and i'm pretty sure the surgeon does not care.

[testdeprived]

and im guessing with a tumor as large as yours youll get help!!

[testdeprived]

thank you, i plan on going with my dad, and printing out these forum pages. im not assertive enough by myself.. my dad thinks im imagining the symptoms as well...after all if the 3 doctors say it it must be true.

but ive been refusing to go to do anything like fill ou college transfer apps, and ivee been very rude to him, until he gets the message im suffering. i cant do this alone.

as for you id suggest getting your mri from a better macchine. i know mthat pit tumors are very hard to detect in cat scan machines, so im guessing a grainy mri would be tough as well. also if its not a large clear mass on your films, that may give the neuros some excuse not to take you seriously.

its a sad world, when a 19 year old(at the time) diagnoses himself accurately in 1 day, only ro be sht down by the neuorolgical community, but this is how this disease is...i could have never fathomed a doctor telling me to wait and see, before my first consultation but unfortunately this is what happenes.

they know my body better than me right (rolls eyes)

[audra30]

thanks for replying. i am really scared. all of my symptoms came on very slowly and all about 8 months ago. i live in a very small town and the mri machine we have is very grainy. i also produce large kidney stones and whenever i go to the big city for treatment i find that everythings actually bigger than first thought. so i'm worried that this thing could be more than just a cyst.

i really hope u can find someone to listen to u. thats a very lonely place to be when they do not validate how u feel.