Your thoughts

[ydiablo]

Hello all I am a 28 years old male from Israel, after about 2.5 months of constant headaches (not so strong but persistent all the time and when lying down would almost dissapear) and also pressure in the ears with various tests that came with no result I had a CT scan last week.
This morning I got the result saying I have a colloiod cyst that probably bled in the past, 9mmX9mm with 64HU, no widening of the 3'rd and 4'th room.
I am still due to meet a neuro-seurgon to consult but would like your aspects on the situation from your experience?
I read that in many cases only MRI's for checkups are recommended and not always surgeory. If so is it urgent?
Are headaches enough to evidence of hydrocephalus? Please assist as I am quite anxious...

[Moderator #7]

Welcome to BrainTalk ydiablo!

Until someone comes along with more information, I'll put up several links to websites about colloid cysts that you might find helpful:

http://www.thamburaj.com/colloid_cyst.htm

http://emedicine.medscape.com/articl...overview#a0104

http://www.upmc.com/services/neurosu...loid-cyst.aspx

I hope our BT group of colloid cyst experts will check in and answer your questions!

[Levi]

Hi ydiablo:

I'm no expert, just a survivor. I would say that you're right at the threshold for surgery. I've read that surgery is generally recommended for cysts over 1cm.

Since the majority of cases of acute deterioration and death are due to CCs of the third ventricle, the authors suggest that surgical resection should be carried out on diagnosed CCs measuring over 1 cm, because sudden death has not been reported as having been caused by colloid cysts measuring less than this dimension.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15504569

9mm would seem close enough especially with persistent headaches IMHO. I've read that the positional aspect of headaches ceasing when lying down is because sometimes the cyst can move on its pedicle.

Symptoms may be intermittent and are thought to be related to the movement of the colloid cyst on its pedicle from the roof of the third ventricle, causing episodic obstruction of the foramen of Monro, and intermittent intracranial hypertension.
http://emj.bmj.com/content/22/12/909.full

Headaches may occur with or without hydrocephalus as I understand it. Headaches and/or size is not always the determining factor since sudden death is considered a multi-factorial process. A sense of urgency would seem justified in my opinion. Good luck and best of health.

Regards,
Matthew