Can you die from pineal cyst

Patel, M. The pineal gland, a fingertip-sized structure located deep in the center of the brain, is found in almost all vertebrates, and yet its function, if any, remains a mystery. Philosophers and mystics have sometimes magnified its importance, while physicians have tended to underestimate it. In contrast, medical science has long dismissed it as unimportant — a vestigial gland of little significance, the neurological counterpart of the appendix.

For generations, neurosurgeons have been taught to discount imaging evidence of a pineal cyst as inconsequential, in part because resection of the gland in cases of pineal tumor has led to no functional loss. This has left little clinical recourse to patients with pineal cysts who are experiencing symptoms such as headaches, double vision or nausea for which there is no other neurological explanation.

Some patients are referred for psychiatric evaluation with the suspicion that the symptoms are psychosomatic. Others are left to seek relief for their symptoms one by one by seeing a variety of specialists. Like most other neurosurgeons, Sunil J. Update on the management of pineal cysts: case series and a review of the literature. Clinical management of pineal cysts: a worldwide online survey. Acta Neurochir. Pineal cysts. Pineal cysts and other pineal region malignancies: determining factors predictive of hydrocephalus and malignancy.

Serial MR imaging of pineal cysts: implications for natural history and follow-up. Large glial cyst of the pineal gland: a possible growth mechanism. Klein P, Rubinstein LJ. Benign symptomatic glial cysts of the pineal gland: a report of seven cases and review of the literature. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. Pineal cyst apoplexy: case report and review of the literature.

Am J Forensic Med Pathol. Download references. The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. MM contributed to the study conception and design, acquisition of data, analysis, and interpretation of the data and drafting of the manuscript. VB contributed to the study conception and design, analysis, and interpretation of the data and critical revision of the manuscript.

Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. Correspondence to Martin Majovsky. Reprints and Permissions.

Majovsky, M. Natural course of pineal cysts—a radiographic study. Chin Neurosurg Jl 4, 33 Download citation. Received : 14 July Accepted : 17 October Published : 11 December Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative.

Skip to main content. Search all BMC articles Search. Download PDF. Abstract Background Pineal cysts PCs are a benign lesion of the pineal gland that have been known to the medical community for a long time. Methods We enrolled all patients with a PC who were referred to our department between January and January Results In total, patients 99 women, 34 men were enrolled.

Background Pineal cysts PCs are a benign lesion of the pineal gland that have been known to the medical community for a long time. Methods Patients We enrolled all patients with a PC who were referred to our department between January and January Radiographic evaluation PC was defined as a smooth-walled cystic lesion in the pineal region and rim enhancement after gadolinium not thicker than 2 mm on MRI.

Age and sex distribution of patients with pineal cysts W women, M men. Full size image. Discussion We diagnosed most of the PCs in patients in their third and fourth decennium i.

References 1. Google Scholar 2. Google Scholar 4. PubMed Google Scholar 5. Article Google Scholar 6. Article PubMed Google Scholar Article Google Scholar Acknowledgements Not applicable.

Funding No funding was received for this study. Availability of data and materials The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. View author publications. Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Central Military Hospital, ref. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

About this article. So, it is unlikely that your headaches are the result of a pineal gland cyst. In most cases, these cysts are discovered when a brain scan is done for an unrelated reason, such as a head trauma, migraine headaches or dizzy spells.

Pineal gland cysts are most commonly found in women 20 to 30 years old, and are very rare before puberty or after menopause. This suggests hormones may play a role in causing the cysts. Because they do not usually cause symptoms or lead to complications, the vast majority of pineal gland cysts do not require surgery or other treatment. Pineal cysts are best seen on brain magnetic resonance imaging MRI. This type of brain imaging is typically reviewed by a specialist, such as a neuroradiologist, who is experienced in evaluating brain cysts and tumors.

That physician can tell the difference between a simple pineal gland cyst and another condition that may require treatment, such as a pineal gland tumor. In contrast to cysts, tumors are an abnormal mass of tissue. They can be either noncancerous or cancerous. If a pineal gland tumor is found, treatment depends on the specific type, size and location of the tumor, as well as the individual's overall health and preferences.

In many cases, surgery is often the first step in treating pineal gland tumors.