mass found on 4yr olds ct scan what could this be?

my daughter who is 4yrs old had a ct scan for epilepsy purposes and they found a mass i am so scared to think what this could be we are now waiting for an mri appointment but iv got some terrible things going around in my head is there any way this could not be a tumour?
thank you  stacey xx

[Neuro Forum]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to examine your son and obtain a history and review his imaging, I can not tell you what the exact implications of his imaging findings are. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

There are several possibilities for what a mass in a child's brain could be. As you mention, one possibility is a tumor. There are several different brain tumor types; some are benign, and essentially nearly curable with surgery, others are more malignant and may require surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation. Other possibilities include fluid-filled cysts, tumors from the tissue around the brain (rather that within the brain), infection (abscess, but usually the patient appears very sick and has fever). Another possibility is a malformation of cortical development, or an abnormal formation of the brain at some point during development, that has been mistaken for a mass on CT.

CT scan as you may know does not provide a lot of detail, and little can usually be concluded from the appearance on CT scan. MRI with contrast will provide for more detail, helping distinguish the possibilities. Sometimes, depending on the appearance of the mass, biopsy is done before full resection.

It sounds like you're on the right track with plans for MRI and after the MRI is completed, it is important that you discuss/understand the findings with your child's pediatric neurologist. If the mass is leading to the seizures, treatment of the mass may improve the seizures.

Thank you for using the forum I hope you find this information useful good luck.