arachnoid cyst

[Jenny416]

My 10-year-old son has just been diagnosed with an acrachnoid cyst, 4.6 cm in the right fosa more in the middle of his head.  We are going on Dec 3 to have someone else look at it.  I have been reading lots from people who have had symptoms and the doc says there is nothing to worry about.  We found my sons cyst because I insisted on having a CT scan done.  He was experiencing visual disturbances(floaters we believe) possibly due to a bad sinus infection he was being treated for.  The pressure from the sinus infection and the additional pressure from the cyst seems to make sense. At the same time there was a virus going around with the same symptoms, starting out with a high fever, and visual disturbances, matter of fact when I was gettting the CT scan, one of the girls said she had a sinus infection and was seeing spots in her coffee cup that morning.  I have no idea if this was because of the cyst or not.  But I feel like he was sick so I would look into it and find it, so I can keep an eye on it.  He used to play football, but I won't let him play anymore contact sports now.  Blessings come in many ways, I wish he didn't have anything, but Now that i know about it I can have a heads up on the whole thing.

  He has no other symptoms such as seizures and headaches, stroke symptoms or anything of that sort.  4.6 cm seems pretty big to me, but I guess they are only operated on if they grow or have severe symptoms such as above.  I believe my son was born with this cyst, his head is a strange shape, not really noticable.  When he was born, I would only dialate 7 cm.  So I began to push and they needed to take him C-section.  So we always thought his head was shaped the way it is because he tryed to come out but couldn't and his head just stayed that way.  

I have just gotten the x-ray pics, and I can see the cyst in the side view pic.  and it seems like the skull shaped itself around the cyst to accomodate it.  I am hoping that it dosen't grow, but it is good to find out that there are things to do such as the shunt if things got bad.  But so far he is just a normal little boy and nothing strange is happing to him(Knock on wood).

I have worried myself terribly over this.  We just lost my husband in May 07 and I feel so alone in this, he would be right here with me to cry with.  I have anxiety attacks now.  I think I will loose my son as well.  But maybe my husband was helping from above and had a hand in making me have the CT scan done, so we can be on our gaurd.

If anyone has any info on arachnoid cysts and any of the first signs of symptoms, I would really appreciate anything you can add.

Jenn

[Caliber2005]

Hi,
Arachnoid cysts are benign cysts that occur in midline in relation to the arachnoid membrane and do not communicate with the ventricular system. Patients usually are asymptomatic even if the cyst is quite large. MRI is the diagnostic procedure of choice.
Any signs suggestive of raised intra-cranial tension like vomiting, headache, visual disturbances, irritability in your child should alert you to visit a neurologist at earliest.

[rakhi233]

hi,I too have an aracnoid cyst but my symptoms are different and I dont have sinus at all.My face used to swell and myhalf body too.I consult doctor she says nothing to worry but my symptoms got severe si I opted for surgery and I was alrite but symptoms agin persists so my suggestion is not to go for surgery but consult neurologist as there r not medicatins for it.so not to take risk and not take stress.

[painkiller99]

Hi.

Basically, an arachnoid cyst is a sac that contains cerebrospinal fluid.  The location between the arachnoid membrane and the brain/spinal cord is what gives it its name.

Your son's symptom of visual disturbances can be related to the presence of the arachnoid cyst.  Other symptoms commonly seen in persons with arachnoid cyst are headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, hearing disorders, vertigo, and difficulties with balance and walking, back and leg pain and tingling or numbness in the legs or arms. However, most of these symptoms only occur when the cyst is large enough to put pressure on adjacent structures.

Usually, surgery is reserved for those persons exhibiting severe symptoms.  You should talk to your son's neurologist to understand the pros and cons of surgical treatment of arachnoid cysts.

Good luck.

[Jenny416]

Thank you, for your input.  It is good to hear from someone with the same problem.  I am still nervous, but you have made me feel better, knowing that this is not a life threatening problem, if watched.  Now I just need to wait till dec 3 to make sure that the doctor,s here are correct in what they think it is.  They do seem very positive that it is not a tumor or anything worse than a cyst so I guess I can count myself blessed.  But until I hear the second opinion I will not be settled.  Anxiety is high and increasing as the day aproaches, I'll have to double up on my relax pills that day lol.

Thanks again.

[Jenny416]

Thank you, for getting back to me. I do believe that it is not large enough to cause any other problem even though is is kinda large.  I think it fits in his head like it is suposed to.  Hope that is what it is for sure though.  Dec. 3 I will know the answer to this question.  just wish it were me and not him with the stupid thing.  But I guess I could have one and not even know it, cysts run in my family, though not in the head, my dad had them on his head and by his appendix, and I have gangling cysts on my wrists, and had a rather large one remove from the top of my foot.  Maybe they are also brought on by heredity.

I will take your advace and make sure to ask the doctor everything I possibly can.

Thank again, Jenn

[Godofredo MD]

Hi.

The literature on whether arachnoid cysts are familial are sparse.  There are reports, however, of arachnoid cysts being hereditary. Hofmann et al, 1980, described a hereditary spinal arachnoid cysts with concomitant diastichiasis and lymphedema.

I wish your son good luck on his condition.

[Jenny416]

Thank you for your input.  It is now Dec 13.  The Head Neurosurgeon at The hospital has ordered an MRI to be 100% sure about it .  But he is 95% sure that there is nothing to be concerned about, and that it is an arachnoid cyst.  As as long as it doesn't grow and he shows no symptoms we will leave it alone.  We want to avoid surgery, only as a last result.  The cyst is located behind the left eye like around the temple.  My son shows no signs so I am considering myself lucky so far.  I am sure my prayers are helping as well.

[Godofredo MD]

Hi.

We will await your post regarding your son's MRI findings. I do hope that in the end, everything will turn out fine for your son.

Your decision to watch and wait is indeed the best decision for asymptomatic arachnoid cyst.

I wish you and your son good luck and better health.

[mawmaw2353]

An arachnoid cyst was just found in my 7 yr old grandson via ct scan... scan was done because he was hit in the forehead by a baseball and wanted to be sure no internal bleeding.... all was fine from the baseball hit but the cyst was found when reading the ct........... seeing neurosurgeon next week  but just wondered if usually no treatment is best ... he has no symptoms at all .... and wondered if he will be able to play contact sports with this....  even @ 7 yrs old he is very good at baseball and football and this will be his first year playing tackle football so it would devestate him if he cannot play........... what do you suggest although obviously we will take recomendation from his Dr at the time of his visit!

concerned grandmother