is this where someone will give me advice on an arachnoid cyst? PLEASE?
have been scanned due to many headaches and strange neurological symptoms. but really finding it hard to find out what comes next. Am referred to a neurolosurgeon.

PLEASE?

I don't know how helpful I can be, but I can share what I know from my own experiences with these arachnoid cysts.

My son was diagnosed with a very large one when he was an infant. It was an incidental finding and he was monitored heavily through the first three years of life. We did not shunt him or have a finest ration done. We chose to "wait and see". Today he is 9 and seemingly fine. Although, he does have issues with "attention to task" and executive functioning, which make sense, given the location of the cyst.

I had an MRI done about 2 yrs ago because I was hospitalized with meningitis. In a bizarre twist, they told me I had the exact same cyst as my son. Bizarre since this is not a hereditary condition.

Since that time, I have had issues with headaches whenever I am I'll with any sort of virus. Strep throat, cold, flu, etc. any sort of viral illness will bring on massive headaches. I am suffering from them right now, as a matter of fact.

The truth is, most people who have these cysts never even know about them. Most of them are asymptomatic and cause no real issues.

Wait an see what your neurosurgeon recommends and then get some second opinions. From what I read out there, most people who get surgery have nothing but trouble afterwards. That's my opinion, so take it for what it's worth.

Good luck,

Anne

Ann,
thankyou!
was so afraid nobody would answer me as it had to be bad news!
I had a brain scan done 5 yrs ago for neck problems - as had almost trapped nerve type ongoing pain. so i had NO cyst then...so this is new.

While i have the headaches i am so debillitated for so long - a recent one involved 10 days in bed...or as good as. But for month or so have been almost hibernating - thought i had a drink spiked the first day it happened...and sleepiness was before as a prelude to the big headache. i slept for 2 out of every 3 days for weeks - more than 20 hrs a day!.

Also considering the lesion is about the size of a PEA it causes numbness in my head, face, on one side...again lasts weeks.

And at times with and without headache have really strange - very difficult to speak clearly - almost as if the back of my tongue is too big, or too lazy and uncooperative....

So am to see neurosurgeon..but dont know how invasive he needs to be??
H