head injury and mega cisterna magna

[barbie305]

My husband was diagnosed with having mega cisterna magna after being hit in the head with a metal buckle while strapping down a load of lumber on his flatbed traylor. he has since been experiencing severe headaches,ensomnia, nausea and sensitivity to light. He also has extreme mood swings and his medication does not seem to be working for him. What do you suggest we do and how can having a head injury possibly cause such a thing as cisterna magna?

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
The exact cause of a mega cisterna magna is not clear cut. The cisterna magna or cerebellomedullary cistern is an opening situated in the back of the brain and does not contain any major structures.  Enlargement of this structure or mega cisterna cava,  to some has little clinical significance or benign and is encountered in about 1% of the population. However, some also associate this to brain issues such as infection, infarction, inflammation and even developmental issues as mentioned from above. And  without knowing more details including direct clinical examination and your husband's medical history ( also  the factors mentioned above), it would be difficult to  say it is  definitely due to the injury.  A baseline imaging study compared to the images taken after the injury may probably help rule it out.  It would be best to discuss this with his attending physician to ease any doubts and for proper correlation with the symptoms and results of the diagnostic exam. Best regards.

[barbie305]

Dear Dr. Santos,  Thank you for asking, but my husband is not doing well at all at times unfortunately. He has his good and bad days.However i still haven't received the exact answer that i am looking for.  that question is "can a sudden blow to the head result in having mega cisterna magna?  It is important to me because he did not have any of the symptoms that he has had for the last three years before sustaining the injury. Please help me to understand more about head trauma and this mega cisterna magna.                Thank You,

                                                                                                            barbie305

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How is your husband? A mega cisterna magna is usually applied to non pathological prominence that may be associated with infarction, o inflammation and infection. If his medication is not helping, it is best that you inform your doctor about this for proper management. Change of medication or further evaluation may need to be done also. Factors such as the severity, force, medical history, symptoms and result of the neurological examination are important considerations also. Take care and do keep us posted.