Pineal Cyst: What symptoms led to your diagnosis?

Posted by Jeep @jeep, Aug 18, 2011

Seems that we've found that I Have a Pineal Cyst. It was discovered while investigating tinitis and vertigo issues. Nurosurgeon says it's not the cause of my symptoms. Other discussions I've read show many folks with PC having similar symptoms and similar conclusions by thier neurologist. Symptoms include visual disturbances (eye strain), diziness, fatigue, constant tinitis- often pulsatile, constant low-grade headache. The only relief is occassional doses of Lorazapam.

Anybody have any insight?

Thanks

Jeep

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@golfguy2282

@jeep Thank you for the follow-up on your pineal cyst journey the last 10 years. I've suddenly been experiencing dull headache, dizziness, mild blurred vision and nausea over the last 2 weeks. No one has been able to explain the cause and it is severely impacting my daily life. I had a brain MRI yesterday in the ER and it revealed a 8mm benign pineal cyst. I have a follow-up with neurology and a neuro surgeon one month from now (soonest I could be seen). Waiting that long for any type of answer is agony.

@jeep @uldiver @aggiegal @elsk @blewicki How large were your pineal cysts? I was told 8mm is very small by the neuro-radiologist who reviewed my MRI. My guess is the follow-ups are to discuss if this could be causing the symptoms and schedule another brain MRI to see if it is growing. From this thread, it seems like the doctor community at large doesn't really believe cysts can cause the symptoms, especially ones that small. I'm just struggling with what could be going on. To put it bluntly, these symptoms suck. Thanks for your insight.

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Welcome golfguy, I'd like to also tag @susanaz and @purpleturtle into to help with your questions about options with an 8 mm pineal cyst that is causing symptoms like you're having.

I'm glad your going for a follow up with neuro-surgery. Waiting for an appointment is really hard, especially when you're in pain. Did you ask if you can be added to a cancellation list?

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@colleenyoung

Welcome golfguy, I'd like to also tag @susanaz and @purpleturtle into to help with your questions about options with an 8 mm pineal cyst that is causing symptoms like you're having.

I'm glad your going for a follow up with neuro-surgery. Waiting for an appointment is really hard, especially when you're in pain. Did you ask if you can be added to a cancellation list?

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@colleenyoung Thank you for the welcome.. Yes, I've been added to a cancelation list and I'm filling out an appointment request with Mayo. Hoping for the latter to work out, would very much appreciate being taken care of by Mayo doctors.

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@golfguy2282

@colleenyoung Thank you for the welcome.. Yes, I've been added to a cancelation list and I'm filling out an appointment request with Mayo. Hoping for the latter to work out, would very much appreciate being taken care of by Mayo doctors.

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Please keep me posted @colleenyoung because we are presently at Mayo with my daughter Shannon who has an underlying paraneoplastic syndrome. Her recent symptoms since April 22 are not from underlying condition per her Boston specialist and Mayo docs. Symptoms, vomiting on/off for a few weeks, balance, gait, speech, movements that resemble parkinsons, tremors and myoclonus. Docs here are looking at functional neuro disorder. However, we just received MRI w contrast results and she has a small pineal cyst. I read this article and a lot of simalarities to my daughter's symptoms. The article calls out that neurologists are trained to dismiss these cysts so I don't know how my appt with neuro will go tomorrow. Here is the link to the article that was interesting by a doc in SC that began removing even small cysts. Since i'm new here i can't post any links ... google "pineal cysts worth a second look"
by medical university of south carolina Sunil J. Patel, M.D. this was from 2018,

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@cmclafferty777

Please keep me posted @colleenyoung because we are presently at Mayo with my daughter Shannon who has an underlying paraneoplastic syndrome. Her recent symptoms since April 22 are not from underlying condition per her Boston specialist and Mayo docs. Symptoms, vomiting on/off for a few weeks, balance, gait, speech, movements that resemble parkinsons, tremors and myoclonus. Docs here are looking at functional neuro disorder. However, we just received MRI w contrast results and she has a small pineal cyst. I read this article and a lot of simalarities to my daughter's symptoms. The article calls out that neurologists are trained to dismiss these cysts so I don't know how my appt with neuro will go tomorrow. Here is the link to the article that was interesting by a doc in SC that began removing even small cysts. Since i'm new here i can't post any links ... google "pineal cysts worth a second look"
by medical university of south carolina Sunil J. Patel, M.D. this was from 2018,

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Welcome @cmclafferty777 and to your daughter. You are in good hands at Mayo Clinic. I hope you get answers at your upcoming appointment.

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@cmclafferty777

Please keep me posted @colleenyoung because we are presently at Mayo with my daughter Shannon who has an underlying paraneoplastic syndrome. Her recent symptoms since April 22 are not from underlying condition per her Boston specialist and Mayo docs. Symptoms, vomiting on/off for a few weeks, balance, gait, speech, movements that resemble parkinsons, tremors and myoclonus. Docs here are looking at functional neuro disorder. However, we just received MRI w contrast results and she has a small pineal cyst. I read this article and a lot of simalarities to my daughter's symptoms. The article calls out that neurologists are trained to dismiss these cysts so I don't know how my appt with neuro will go tomorrow. Here is the link to the article that was interesting by a doc in SC that began removing even small cysts. Since i'm new here i can't post any links ... google "pineal cysts worth a second look"
by medical university of south carolina Sunil J. Patel, M.D. this was from 2018,

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Hello @cmclafferty777, I would like to add my welcome along with @colleenyoung and others. I thought I would jump in for @colleenyoung and share a link to the article you mentioned.

-- Pineal Cysts: Worth a Second Look - Neurosurgeon identifies a novel constellation of symptoms that resolve upon excision of pineal cysts or cytomas:
https://muschealth.org/health-professionals/progressnotes/2018/yir/discovering/pineal-cysts

I know you are in great hands at Mayo but since you mentioned you aren't sure how your appointment with your daughter's neuro will go tomorrow, I'm wondering if you might find this site helpful to plan your conversation with the neuro -- https://patientrevolution.org/visit-tools.

Do you normally prepare questions ahead of time for appointments?

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@colleenyoung

Welcome @cmclafferty777 and to your daughter. You are in good hands at Mayo Clinic. I hope you get answers at your upcoming appointment.

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Thank you ! I was curious if your symptoms were consistent or did they wax and wane?

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@johnbishop

Hello @cmclafferty777, I would like to add my welcome along with @colleenyoung and others. I thought I would jump in for @colleenyoung and share a link to the article you mentioned.

-- Pineal Cysts: Worth a Second Look - Neurosurgeon identifies a novel constellation of symptoms that resolve upon excision of pineal cysts or cytomas:
https://muschealth.org/health-professionals/progressnotes/2018/yir/discovering/pineal-cysts

I know you are in great hands at Mayo but since you mentioned you aren't sure how your appointment with your daughter's neuro will go tomorrow, I'm wondering if you might find this site helpful to plan your conversation with the neuro -- https://patientrevolution.org/visit-tools.

Do you normally prepare questions ahead of time for appointments?

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Yes sir ! I've been managing my daughter's rare disorder for 25 years. 🙂 Difficult conversations aren't easy. I'm not sure how my appt will go because I don't know much about pineal cysts. Given the doctor is leaning towards functional movement disorder for my daughter, i'm not sure if a discussion on the pineal cyst will be welcomed or understood. I have a lot more research on this topic to complete.

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Hello 👋🏻 I just need to talk. How everyone is feeling?
I found out that I have a pineal cyst in the brain 🧠 I’m lil concerned. Hope everyone gets the help that you need 🙏🏻 blessings for healing ❤️‍🩹 🌼

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@lidiana

Hello 👋🏻 I just need to talk. How everyone is feeling?
I found out that I have a pineal cyst in the brain 🧠 I’m lil concerned. Hope everyone gets the help that you need 🙏🏻 blessings for healing ❤️‍🩹 🌼

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@jeep thanks for sharing this experience 🌼 I’m experiencing a lot of your same symptoms but I don’t know if the dyskinesia and hemorrhagic gastritis may be part of the cysts I have in my 🧠 (plus arachnoid cyst on top cerebellum).

May I ask what size is it or was? Did you had any other cysts in brain or body?

Did surgery was ever considered?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏻 blessings of healing 🌼

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@lisalucier

Hi, @blewicki - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm hopeful that @jeep will respond and provide an update on the pineal cyst and how the symptoms are currently.

I'd also like to introduce you to @susie2525 @loriagee71 @dailychronicsupportgroup @supraorbital @elsk. A couple of these members have been away for a bit, but I'm hoping they will return and share an update about their pineal cysts or cysts in this region that they mentioned previously. I'd love for them to share any tips they may have, too.

You mentioned, @blewicki, that you've had symptoms similar to @jeep's. Will you share more about what symptoms you've experienced and any suggestions for ways you've found to manage them?

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I have a 9mm pineal cyst.

It grew since last year 2mm from 7mm. The neurosurgeon says I'm OK and that basically it's my ptsd as I am a veteran and I laughed . If I was a cheerleader and 16 and just experienced headaches, I would be taken more seriously.

I have a plethora of symptoms. Tinnitus has been insane for I don't know how long now, it's getting worse. Light sensitivity can't sleep, adhd, cant concentrate , visual disturbances , migraines and if it gets really bad I have small seizures it feels like, etc.

University of Pennsylvania I was working with Dr O.

Needless to say his staff were awful at getting back to me. Unprofessional. Disrespectful. No wonder our veterans are killing themselves 22 a day. You ask for help, they say your lying .

I was diagnosed in 2014 with a 7mm cyst. Now it's 9mm. And the doctor I saw last year would have don't the surgery if it grew 2 more mms .

Apparently it did with this 2nd opinion. And yet still, their staff tell me it's caused by my ptsd and I need psychiatric help ... the pa even offered to set up consults with a shrink to lobotomize me with their crap pills. I tried everything. And so long story short, don't go to Philly for crap as I feel I am being discriminated against bc I'm a white female combat veteran. I patiently waited over 6 weeks for them to review my mri scans .

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