Pineal Cyst

[Heather13]

I have a 4 year old daughter who was dignoised in March 2007 with a 7mm pineal cyst.  We go to the Neurologist every 6 weeks.  We keep a headache log.  The Neurologist put her on a migraine medicine that has elimanated most all her daily headaches.  Her Neurologist and her eye doctor seem to think the pineal cyst has no connection to her headaches or her partial paralized IV cranial nerve.  It is just werid that everyone that has a pineal cyst has headaches.

[Carol in PA]

It's possible that your daughter's migraines have been triggered by an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete bacteria that causes Lyme Disease.
People with this often have a problem with cysts on various organs and glands.
When the Lyme bacteria infects the cranial nerves, the patient may present with visual symptoms, auditory or balance problems, trigeminal neuralgia, Bell's Palsy, etc.

I have Lyme Disease, and long standing migraines.   An MRI showed a pineal cyst.
So it's possible that the thing that is causing the migraines also cause the pineal cyst.

Wishing you the best,
Carol

[migraine_queen]

I agree with you Heather, I was just diagnosed with this cyst this week.  Or rather, let me rephrase this...It showed up on a ct as early as August, but no one said a word to me about the cyst to me until January 22nd.  (Nice, huh?)  

From all that I've read so far, it seems far too coincedental that all these people with Pineal Cysts all have so many of the same symptoms and some that were blessed enough to have them removed, are doing quite well now.  Something that I find, intriguing and frustrating at the same time, since most doctors so far are saying, "this has nothing to do with....(Insert whatever here)"

Good luck to you and your daughter!!!  I started my migraines as a young child...I know its tough.  

[momofcancerkid]

my daughter was 4 when we found her cyst in the same area of your daughters....she is now almost 10 and it has not grown but her headaches are getting closer together and more severe...she is also a cancer surivor which is how we first discovered the cyst....through a mri that i demanded ( thinking the cyst was the problem) they found out her adenoids and membranes were infected and needed to come out....after talking to 2 ENT's whom i trust i found out that the infection can be causeing the headaches along with concentration issues..therefor e she is having surgery soon to correct it...you should check with an ENT in your area to rule this same problem out..good luck and god bless

[Mel_2006]

How much have you learned about pineal cyst? I have had headaches since i was 5 my doctor diagnosed them as migraines when i was 6 and had my first migraine shot when i was 8. I had headaches everyday all the doctors did was give my parents pain medication to give me and send us on our way. I am now almost 32 and still have the headaches everyday. In 2003 i found a doctor who finally ordered an MRI and an EEG { it took me 22 years of having these constant headaches to find a doctor to try and find out why instead of just giving me pain meds and sending me on my way} anyway the MRI showed a pineal cyst measuring 1.2 x 0.7 cm the EEG was normal. I have regular MRI's now. The neurolgist also told me that the cyst was not what was causing my headaches they tried medication after medication trying to control my headaches but nothing worked for very long. Then my headaches started getting worse and i was blacking out when i would have a real bad headache. I blacked out with headaches when i was younger but not very often and now i blackout atleast once a week. My doctor i see now ordered another MRI 4 months before i was due for my next one and an EEG. The MRI showed that the cyst had grown now measuring 10 x 12 cm and the EEG this time showed i was having brain seizers {which my first EEG did not show}. Most doctors do not believe the pineal cyst cause symptoms and the majority of them don't. But the are a some that do. I have lots of information on pineal cyst and know of alot of good wed sites you can look up to get information if you would like any of it just let me know.
My doctor says that i need to have my removed and has sent me to several neurologist but the neurrologist where i live don't know much about pineal cyst. I live in a very small town. My doctor is now trying to find a neurologist in a larger city to see me and do the surgery to remove my cyst before it grows anymore. I am also a single mom of 4 and have been unable to work for 2 years because of this.
Hope i can help. And i hope your daughter gets to doing better.
I have a 5 year old daughter and a 10 year old son who also have headaches alot and that scares me because of what i gave gone through the past 27 years.

[clarence21]

Hi my name is Clarence, I've been having chronic headachs for seven mounths.  I have been  back and fourth to the ER, because the headaches were so painful that I nearly passed out.  Recently, during the first week of April, 2008,  the symptoms mainfested into shifts of numbness throughout my body, especially my back and arms.  It's terrible because everytime I sit down I'm over come with debilitating weakness. At first, I thought I was having a stroke or aneurysm.  The MRI with contrast, confirmed that I didn't have any of those two. I had something else...

To make a story short, yesterday, the doctor discovered I had a 8mm cyst in the pineal gland.  The pineal gland is responsible for the secretion of  the chemical for sleeping called  "melatonin".  No wonder, I have been having trouble sleeping, and trouble going back to sleep throughout the night.  I too, have been told by doctores that there is no correlation between the cyst and, they sent me away.
I have been looking for a neural surgeon to drain it, before it grows and creates more symptoms, because there is four known deathes, with having pineal cysts.  I need someone  who is experinced with treating this problem.  Do any of you guys know a renowned docter who is?  Becauses I'm scared of having surgery on my brain, because if they screw up, the impact could be permanent. Please e-mail at ***@****. Best wishes to all of you, in your quest for treatment.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Pineal cysts are usually incidental findings in the scan. They may not require further intervention unless they are large and becomes symptomatic.

"Majority of the times, pineal cysts are asymptomatic. Pineal cysts are clinically important for 2 reasons: (1) They may enlarge over time due to intracystic hemorrhage / cyst fluid, and/or (2) May cause mass effect on adjacent structures. "

Source: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/Rad/neurocases/Neurocase163.htm

A pineal cyst of 8 mm may need to be monitored. At this point, do you have any acute onset headaches, eye