A cyst is a benign cavity neoplasm. If it finds a place in the head, then its cavity is filled with cerebrospinal fluid - cerebrospinal fluid. There is a special type of such formation in the human brain. This is a lacunar cyst. It is so called because it begins to grow between the membranes around the gray matter in the lacunae from the displacement of tissues when they are damaged by inflammation. These may be the hemisphere or pons, subcortical ganglia or visual thalamus.
The danger of this type is that the cyst grows to a significant size and only then makes itself felt. The course of the disease when diagnosed with a lacunar cyst of the brain is accompanied by headaches and dizziness (when the cyst fills with fluid and begins to put pressure on neighboring areas of the brain).
Causes
This disorder can be congenital or acquired. In the last example, the disorder manifests itself during fetal development. This is due to:
- Smoking and drinking alcohol and other psychotropic drugs.
- Pregnant mother distress.
- Mutations at the gene level.
These are the causes of acquired disorders that develop against the background of other negative factors. This applies to post-ischemic lacunar cyst. There is fluid in the parietal and temporal region. After injury and disease, it can collect in the damaged area. Liquid is formed instead of tissue. If a lot of this fluid accumulates, a cystic lacunar tumor appears.
Patient immunity has a significant impact on such disorders. Taking into account the results of such studies, we can say that the disease manifests itself for the following reasons: arterial hypertension, skull trauma, diabetes mellitus, meningitis.
A heart attack often causes such anomalies, venereal disorders, and endocrinological disorders. Age-related changes contribute to the formation of cysts. They gradually develop in the brain in humans.
What is the danger
The formation in the cerebellum is not dangerous for humans; it is not susceptible to malignancy. The risk of complications arises when the cyst actively increases, causing unpleasant symptoms and concomitant diseases.
A benign formation is dangerous if the impetus for its appearance was a chronic disease, an infection that affected brain tissue. Bacterial formation cannot be eliminated using traditional treatment methods; here we should talk about surgical intervention. In the absence of necessary therapy, the consequences can be fatal to a person.
The principle of formation of lacunar cysts
Cysts are divided according to the nature of their origin into: congenital, acquired .
The congenital variety is formed in the womb as a result of the influence of various processes, the natural development of which was disrupted by painful factors. Sometimes genes mutate, affecting pathologies suffered by a girl during pregnancy, the effects of alcohol and cigarettes, and other psychotropic drugs.
Secondary cysts refer to the results of a previous illness; several pathologies differ. The patient’s immunity takes part in the formation of lacunar cysts. Today, the formation of a lacunar cyst in the head is promoted by: diabetes, meningitis, hypertension, skull trauma, connective tissue disorder, etc.
Possible complications
The list of possible complications is very long. Each of them carries certain risks and consequences.
Tissue inflammation can develop when the cyst enlarges, ruptures, or after removal, if mistakes were made during the procedure.
A cancerous tumor can form as a result of the carcinogenic effect of cystic exposure.
Depending on the location of the cyst, there is a possibility of loss or deterioration of vision, taste, speech abilities, sense of smell, motor skills, and so on. Neurological pathologies are another complication. Along with this, there may be memory loss, nervousness, and epilepsy.
Symptoms of the disease
The fact that patients develop a lacunar cyst of the head is not always realized during their lifetime. The neoplasm does not give any signs of itself. It is possible to detect a cyst only in 25% of cases . When the tumor reaches large volumes, patients experience central nervous system disorder in several manifestations: the functioning of some organs is significantly weakened. Vision is greatly affected by this disorder.
A lacunar cyst of the brain is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Convulsive syndrome.
- Hallucinations.
- There is a noise in my ears.
- Sensitivity problems arise.
- Sleep gets worse.
- There is a throbbing sensation in the skull.
- Problems with coordination of movements.
Symptoms vary depending on the location of the disease. In some situations, the cyst causes problems with the central nervous system. In such situations, seizures occur.
When significant anomalies are achieved, limbs become paralyzed and visual function deteriorates. The skull is compressed. If a cyst appears in or near the cerebellum, the work of the vestibular apparatus becomes difficult, the gait changes, and balance is lost.
If such symptoms appear, a painful large tumor develops . For these purposes, it is necessary to provide people with urgent medical care, which leads to the death of people.
This section is responsible for the contraction of muscle tissue, so when a cyst forms in this place, motor function is impaired. This is often characterized by involuntary contraction of muscle tissue on the face, convulsions and epileptic seizures appear. The clinical picture develops quickly; there are no prerequisites for the development of epilepsy.
If a cyst appears in the occipital region, vision problems occur. The patient manages to lose vision completely or partially. A sharp deterioration in the condition is observed in neurological blindness without any particular cause or injury.
Clinical picture
Symptoms of the development of such a formation may not appear for years. In such patients, cysts are detected during routine head examinations.
As the tumor grows, it compresses nearby parts of the brain. Symptoms that indicate a lacunar cyst depend on the location of the affected areas:
- For example, if a cyst has formed in the basal ganglia area , the patient will complain of problems performing complex movements.
- When the parietal lobe is damaged, coordination of movements, a sense of balance and body position in space are impaired, and oral and written speech skills regress.
- If the formation is located in the temporal region , auditory, olfactory, and taste hallucinations may occur.
- The formation in the frontal part causes involuntary facial movements and epileptic attacks.
- Impaired functioning of the occipital region leads to vision problems.
Also characteristic symptoms indicating damage to the membranes of the brain are nausea, vomiting, headaches, photophobia, and loss of elasticity of the neck muscles.
Diagnostics
In modern medical practice, there is a research method that allows one to determine the presence of lacunar tumors in people.
Let's list the main ones:
- MRI.
- Spiral CT.
- Morphological examination of biopsy samples of brain structures.
- Electrocardiography can detect heart failure.
- Head biopsy, determination of the state of the histological structure of the brain and the properties of the tumor.
- Blood tests for cholesterol and clotting. High levels indicate blockage of blood vessels. This causes the appearance of a lacunar cyst.
- Blood pressure monitoring throughout the day. Pressure changes can cause strokes.
- Checking for the presence of pathogenic microbes in the blood if there is a suspicion of an infectious origin of the cyst.
All of the above methods allow doctors to determine the nature of the development of the disease, the cause of the formation of a cyst, or a tumor in the patient’s head.
Pathological disorders in the head in people are indicated by a blood test that reveals the level of glucose and the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. When patients are diagnosed with a head tumor, specialists can determine the differential diagnosis.
These techniques enable specialists to accurately determine the nature of the disorder and the cause of its occurrence. They make it possible to determine the rate of development of a malignant tumor in the brain in a minimum period of time.
A biochemical blood test may indicate developing disorders in this organ of the patient. Such examinations make it possible to determine glucose and cholesterol levels. When identifying a tumor in a patient's head, doctors advise using a differential diagnosis.
Treatment
When the size of the cyst is small and the patient is not bothered by symptoms, treatment is not performed. People advise conducting an examination of the development of neoplasms. Developing asymptomatic kitties are not diseases, but anomalies. Other experts are convinced that small formations stimulate dementia in old age and the development of neurological diseases.
It is necessary to treat diseases that appear due to the cyst. For this purpose, antibiotics, antiviral agents, and antihypertensive drugs can be used, taking into account the etiology of the disease.
If neoplasms appear after a cerebral hemorrhage or signs develop that worsen the patient’s quality of life, surgery is performed. Today this is the only way to eliminate lacunar cysts.
We list the treatment methods:
- Shunting. To do this, a drainage tube is implanted through which fluid drains from the cyst. The increased risk is considered a disadvantage of the method. The shunt is used for a long time.
- Endoscopy involves eliminating a tumor through a puncture in the skull using an endoscope equipped with a video camera. This is the most painful and least traumatic method. There are contraindications for its use.
- Trepanation is a highly effective procedure that helps eliminate cysts of various locations. There is a possibility of brain damage.
Today, the bypass procedure is resorted to in exceptional cases. Only with the help of surgery can the method of getting rid of the disease be corrected. The check is carried out according to the following indicators: convulsions, increased symptoms, formation of lacunar cysts during hemorrhage.
Before surgery, doctors assess the condition of the heart. Today, neurologists perform minimally invasive surgeries. Rarely, shunting and drainage of lacunar cysts are performed.
ethnoscience
Proven recipes of alternative medicine allow you to stabilize and keep the body’s condition under control. It is necessary to select the optimal prescriptions with your doctor. Many herbs can have negative effects on humans if used incorrectly.
To resolve the cyst, spotted hemlock may be recommended. It combines with black elderberry and violet. The fee is applied if the formation begins to grow. The proportions, method of preparation and duration of therapy are determined by the doctor.
Drinking tea from viburnum, horsetail, and chokeberry allows you to control blood pressure, which is also important in this condition. The diet should be supplemented with celery, asparagus, vegetables, and fruits.
Alternative medicine can be used exclusively at the stage of remission, but not exacerbation.
Consequences
If therapy is not carried out normally, negative consequences appear in the form of problems with coordination of movements, hearing and vision disorders, inflammation, and death.
In babies, hydrocephalus may occur, where cerebrospinal fluid collects in the ventricles, causing the brain to shrink. If the disorder is correctly diagnosed and treated, it will be possible to get rid of the signs of the disease and prevent the appearance of new cysts. For preventive purposes, it is necessary to undergo preventive procedures less than every 2 years.
If a lacunar cyst of the head is not identified in a timely manner, the patient does not receive proper treatment, which leads to disastrous results. Postischemic lacunar cyst is fraught with the following disorders: problems with coordination of movements, difficulties with auditory and visual analyzers, hydrocephalus, death, encephalitis.
Prevention
Small cysts do not manifest themselves in any way. Their presence is present thanks to diagnostics. Large cysts must be removed surgically.
If such a diagnosis is detected in a patient, you need to quickly seek help from a specialist. Hypothermia should not be allowed , it is better to avoid stress, increase blood pressure, and protect yourself from viruses.
