Every twenty fifth person on the planet has a cerebrospinal fluid cyst . The male sex is more prone to the formation of formations, the female - less. The age of a person does not play absolutely any role.
Such a diagnosis is very horrifying for many people. They prepare for the worst in advance, and become depressed. However, is the cerebrospinal fluid cyst really terrible, and what is it all about?
To better understand the features of the anomaly, it is worthwhile to understand the causes of its occurrence, possible complications and treatment methods.
Cerebrospinal fluid cyst - what is it?
As a result of various disorders in the human body, cavities with liquid inside may appear. Liquor cyst is one of these entities. It is located in the human brain and can be of different types.
Inside, such a cyst is filled with cerebrospinal fluid. This is cerebrospinal fluid.
With normal circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, regulation is provided:
- optimal for the body level of intracranial pressure;
- water-electrolyte homeostasis;
- exchange occurring between the blood and the brain.
The main function of the cerebrospinal fluid is protection. Fluid surrounds the brain and protects it from various injuries.
Pathogenesis
The normal circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid is an established system. It includes several stages:
- The formation of fluid in the brain.
- Her movement along the ventricles.
- Entry into the subarachnoid space of the spinal cord and brain.
- Reabsorption of cerebrospinal fluid into the blood.
When cysts form in the brain, fluid enters there during its circulation. However, due to the dense shell of the formation, the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid from it is difficult. So, fluid gradually accumulates in an empty cavity.
Etiology
There are several reasons for the occurrence of cerebrospinal fluid cysts. It:
- the impact of negative factors on the brain during fetal development, causing defects in the tissues forming in the embryo;
- the consequences of meningitis and encephalitis, leading to the formation of adhesions that interfere with cerebrospinal fluid outflow;
- injuries
- complications of infectious diseases.
Manifestations
The clinical picture concomitant with the development of the anomaly depends on the size of the cerebrospinal fluid cyst, its location and the characteristics of fluid circulation. Very often, the development of education for some time proceeds secretly. In this case, the detection of a cyst occurs by chance, in the diagnosis of another disease.
In babies, the first manifestations can begin years after birth. The main signs of cerebrospinal fluid cysts in children are:
- large skull;
- headaches;
- mental and physical retardation.
Infants may notice: a bulging fontanel, diverging sutures of the skull, rolling eyes.
In adults, restless symptoms often begin after a head injury, stroke, or infectious disease. They appear in a non-specific way:
- visual, auditory impairment;
- imbalance of movements;
- dizziness, vomiting, nausea;
- headaches;
- mental disorders;
- the occurrence of seizures;
- numbness, tingling of various parts of the body.
If one or more of these symptoms is detected, you should immediately consult a doctor for diagnosis.
Kinds
Classification of cerebrospinal fluid cysts occurs according to several criteria:
- localization (arachnoid - on the surface of the brain, cerebral - inside the gray matter);
- location (lacunar, pineal, retrocerebellar);
- etiology (primary - congenital, secondary - acquired).
The correct definition of the type of education is important for understanding the possible consequences of the anomaly and determining the methods of its treatment. The main types of cysts are only two. Each of them has its own characteristics.
- Arachnoid cerebrospinal fluid cyst. What is it: a hollow neoplasm of a benign nature. It is localized in the arachnoid membrane of the brain. The primary arachnoid cyst appears in the fetus as a result of the mother taking medications during pregnancy, the embryo is exposed to radiation, exposure to toxic factors. Secondary occurs due to past diseases, bruises, operations that provoked damage to the meninges. The appearance and development of this type of cyst in most cases is asymptomatic. Only twenty percent of patients have clinical signs.
- Cerebral cerebrospinal fluid cyst of the brain. What is it: a benign neoplasm, which is located in the very thickness of the brain in place of dead neurons. It occurs against the background of oxygen starvation, strokes, infectious diseases, tremors, craniotomy.
In the absence of adequate treatment, each type of neoplasm can cause irreparable harm to human health.
Effects
The absence of a clinical picture characteristic of the presence of dangerous cerebrospinal fluid cysts indicates a small tumor. In this case, you can not be afraid of its presence. It does not require immediate treatment.
When a cerebrospinal fluid cyst is detected at the initial stage of development, doctors are limited only to observing it. If the tumor does not grow and does not cause unpleasant symptoms, you do not need to touch it.
Dangerous are those cerebrospinal fluid cysts, which gradually increase. Having reached a certain size, they begin to squeeze neighboring tissues and cause degeneration of brain cells.
If adequate medical care by a person is not received on time, then the development of cerebral and arachnoid cerebrospinal fluid cysts of the brain can cause:
- the development of hydrocephalus in children;
- damage to the organs of hearing and vision;
- cerebral inflammation;
- motor impairment;
- paralysis;
- cramps
- cavity rupture;
- death.
Diagnostics
To avoid the disastrous consequences of the development of cerebrospinal fluid cysts, you need to properly treat it. For this, the specialist must make the correct diagnosis. It is best to undergo examination where the qualifications of doctors will be indisputable - in the center of neurosurgery.
The main diagnostic methods for cerebrospinal fluid cysts are: magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. As additional studies are carried out:
- biopsy;
- electrocardiography;
- blood tests;
- dopplerography.
If the presence of cerebrospinal fluid cysts of the brain is confirmed, then the doctor decides on the appropriateness of treating the anomaly. If necessary, the method of combating pathology is selected.
Drug therapy
The treatment option for cerebrospinal fluid cysts of the brain depends on the intensity of the negative manifestations of the abnormality, its growth and the presence (or absence) of necrosis of adjacent tissues.
When diagnosing a small formation that requires drug therapy, drugs can be prescribed with a different effect:
- absorbable;
- nootropic;
- accelerating the supply of blood cells in the brain;
- pressure stabilizing;
- lowering cholesterol;
- antioxidant.
Such drugs help the cyst not only stop growing, but also completely disappear. However, it should be remembered that a similar outcome of treatment is possible only under the supervision of a physician. The specialist should choose drugs, prescribe a schedule for their administration and dosage. Engaging in uncontrolled medication is prohibited.
How to treat cerebrospinal fluid cyst with alternative medicine
In parallel with medications, the doctor can prescribe and take folk remedies. Very popular are teas from collections of medicinal herbs:
- daisies;
- raspberries;
- lingonberries;
- chicory;
- rose hips;
- calendula
- succession;
- elecampane;
- shiksha;
- corn stigmas.
The main tasks of taking medicinal drinks is to improve cerebral blood flow and prevent the formation of new adhesions. Each collection should be drunk from three to four months. After this, tea from medicinal herbs in another combination should be brewed.
When dealing with cerebrospinal fluid cysts, a prescription for the treatment of hemlock spotted is often used. It is considered the most effective means of traditional medicine for a similar problem.
- Tincture is made from olive oil and seeds of a medicinal plant. They are mixed and stored in a dark place for three weeks. The tool must be dripped into the nostrils 2 drops three times a day.
- Therapy can be carried out in another way: they drink tincture according to a certain scheme. They start with one drop, adding every day - on an increasing basis. When they reach forty, they decline. This course of treatment with a hemlock lasts seventy-nine days.
Do not forget that herbs are not completely safe for the body. During their administration, it is important to follow a certain scheme and dosage. It is impossible to independently choose the means of traditional medicine and treat them at your own discretion.
Surgical intervention
Conservative therapy will not help if the patient has:
- rapid enlargement of the cyst;
- cerebral hemorrhage;
- the development of hydrocephalus;
- necrosis of adjacent tissues.
In such cases, emergency surgery is required. It could be:
- trepanation;
- endoscopy;
- shunting;
- drainage.
To avoid harm to health, the necessary manipulations must be performed by a high-class doctor. Therefore, the procedure is recommended to be performed at the neurosurgery center.
It should be remembered that the development of cerebrospinal fluid cysts is an abnormal condition that requires constant medical supervision. If treatment is necessary, then the right method will play a decisive role in the recovery of the patient. That is why, with the first symptoms of pathology, you need to immediately pass a diagnosis, and after that - fully follow the recommendations of a specialist.