Before you realize what it is - a lacunar cyst of the brain, you need to understand that there are many types of neoplasms of this type, and each of them, in one way or another, threatens human life. The question is very serious, because this is the brain.
Lacunar cyst of the brain - what is it?
A lacunar cyst is a neoplasm that appears between the membrane of the cerebral cortex and lacunae, which, in turn, arise due to the inflammatory process. This type of cyst, when growing, presses on the vessels surrounding the brain and its soft tissues, causing pathologies of varying severity.
Types of cysts
With lacunar cysts of the brain, the size, norm and location determine their type. But first of all, it takes into account how they began to develop - in utero, which means they are congenital - or in the process of ordinary life, here the reasons for their appearance are much more diverse.
Moreover, there is a difference of onetype of cyst from another according to the place of their appearance in the brain. A retrocerebellar cyst is a neoplasm that has arisen under the arachnoid membrane of the brain.
If the tumor appeared on the outer arachnoid membrane, then it is called, respectively, an arachnoid cyst. Lacunar liquor cysts of the brain occur between the membranes of the medulla. A vascular cyst is a tumor that has arisen in the plexus of the vessels of the brain. The lacunar cyst of the basal ganglia occurs in the cerebellum, pons, or subcortical ganglion.
You have received only the initial concept of what it is - a lacunar cyst of the brain. This topic is being studied at medical institutes to this day, which is why there are quite a lot of types and types of this neoplasm, and new tumors and cysts are added to the list every year.
Causes of lacunar cysts
You need to understand that if a patient was found to have a cyst that developed during his intrauterine growth, then it is most likely a hereditary disease. It is impossible to insure yourself against this type of tumor. There are cases when a person did not know about the presence of a congenital cyst until the moment of its accidental discovery during a routine medical examination. The tumor at the same time had a diameter of 10 cm and absolutely did not interfere with a person's life. What is a lacunar cyst of the brain? It is a formation that creates problems, but not in every case of its occurrence.
If the cyst is diagnosed as an acquired pathology, this means thatit was the result of some somatic illness. For example, it appeared as a complication after meningitis or traumatic brain injury. Diabetes mellitus, thrombosis, hypertension can lead to the formation of a cyst.
Often, frequent concussions can cause neoplasms in the brain. This phenomenon occurs in professional sports, where the athlete often receives traumatic brain injuries, such as boxing or other martial arts.
The postischemic lacunar cyst has become widely known in medical circles. From the name it is clear that it was the result of coronary brain disease, which, in fact, leads to chronic hypertension. Postischemic lacunar cysts of the brain are studied and treated simultaneously with a stroke. Often they are the cause of trepanation of the skull and brain surgery. But the lacunar CSF cyst is amenable to radiation therapy, and surgery in this case is not always required.
Signs of a cyst in the brain
Lacunar cyst of the brain symptoms may not appear for many years. At the same time, it grows and develops. The first signs that a person has it appear only when an overgrown neoplasm begins to put pressure on nearby blood vessels, thereby disrupting blood flow or creating pressure on certain parts of the brain. And depending on what shares these are, characteristic signs appear:
- The patient is hallucinating.
- Severe headache,moreover, the place of localization of pain is opposite the cyst.
- A person begins to feel sick or vomit for no apparent reason.
- In severe cases, seizures with convulsions and loss of consciousness are possible.
- Coordination of movements is disturbed.
- Speech and a person's ability to write texts are impaired.
- If a cyst appears in the frontal lobe, then a person's vision may be impaired or completely lost.
- If the tumor is in the temporal lobes, then the sense of smell is disturbed and the ability to distinguish tastes disappears.
But not always neoplasm has at least some manifestation. Often, a lacunar cyst of the brain does not receive any treatment at all, because it has not manifested itself in any way throughout a person’s life. There was no pain or any brain dysfunction.
Diagnosis of the presence of a cyst in the brain
Treatment of a lacunar postischemic cyst of the brain is prescribed only after a complete comprehensive diagnosis. The same goes for any type of cyst - it is important to know its size and location.
After all, if a cyst does not pose a danger to the life of the brain, does not grow, then they simply observe it, without trying to cure it - there is no need. But if it begins to grow, put pressure on the surrounding vessels and brain tissue, then urgent therapy begins.
The main method for diagnosing tumors in the brain is computed tomography. It most clearly and accurately determines the presence, size and location of the cyst.
In order to understand whether its contents are dangerous, that is, whether it canturn into a malignant tumor, a histological analysis of cells obtained from a cyst as a result of a biopsy is done.
You can clarify the diagnosis by examining the vessels of the head and neck by Dopplerography. At the same time, the condition of the patient's blood, the presence of elevated cholesterol levels in it, is being studied in order to exclude the likelihood of cholesterol plaques.
Blood is also being examined for pathogens that can cause inflammation.
Diagnosis may include daily monitoring of blood pressure surges. To do this, special sensors are attached to the patient, which accompany all his activities during the day.
Drug treatment of lacunar cysts
If the cyst does not bother the patient, does not increase in size and does not pose a danger, then it is not subjected to special treatment. In this case, therapy is aimed at eliminating the cause of its occurrence. For example, if a patient has had a severe viral illness such as meningitis or encephalitis, then he is treated with antibiotics and immune-boosting drugs. The specific type of drug, its dosage and regimen are prescribed individually depending on the general condition of the patient.
The neurologist may prescribe a drug that destroys adhesions in the connective tissue, blood-thinning drugs and antioxidants. All this allows you to restore disturbed blood flow in the vessels of the brain and stabilize pressure.
Surgical treatment
If the cyst poses a danger to the patient's condition, then he is shown a surgical operation. It can be performed by various methods - bypass, endoscopy and craniotomy.
Each method has both positive and negative sides. Endoscopy can only reach those cysts that are directly under the skull bone. The instrument, which is a thin tube, does not reach the neoplasms lying deep in the medulla.
Bypassing a cyst involves aspirating the fluid that fills the cyst with a thin needle. As a result of this procedure, the cyst is reduced until only one shell remains of it. The downside of this procedure is the risk of introducing an infection into the brain, which will cause complications.
Craniotomy involves opening the skull in order to provide access to the cyst at any depth. This type of operation provides a 100% opportunity to completely remove the neoplasm, but has a long postoperative period.
The type of operation is chosen by the attending physician, based on the patient's condition, the location and size of the cyst, and many other medical indicators. The wishes of the patient in this situation are not taken into account.
Post-op rehabilitation
Time for postoperative rehabilitation is allotted depending on the complexity of the surgical intervention and the severity of the disease that caused the cyst.
For example, after removal of a congenital cyst, which did not complicate the patient's condition, with the help of shunting, for rehabilitation10-15 days are allotted.
And if the tumor was caused by an infectious disease such as meningitis, the cyst disrupted some functions in the body, vision, hearing or musculoskeletal work, trepanation was required to remove it, then it may take 5-6 months for a complete cure.
Special Diet
During treatment and in the postoperative period, the patient adheres to a special diet. To reduce blood cholesterol, which can cause a blood clot, dishes with fatty, fried meat are removed from his diet. Suitable meats for this situation are boiled fish, chicken and veal.
To normalize blood pressure and strengthen the immune system, fresh fruits and vegetables are included in the diet. The patient's diet is adjusted so that he eats 6-7 times a day, but in small portions. This reduces the load on the stomach, but allows all the beneficial substances from food to be absorbed into the intestines to the fullest.
It is strictly forbidden to drink coffee and alcoholic beverages.
Possible Complications
If any type of lacunar cyst remains untreated, the patient may develop various complications.
Thus, the pineal cyst leads to encephalitis or hydrocephalus - the accumulation of fluid in the brain. And an arachnoid cyst can lead to epilepsy. In a colloidal cyst, complications are even more dangerous - cerebral hernia, hydrocephalus and death.
If an untreated cyst remains in a child's brain, it may delayhis intellectual and even physical development. The most dangerous complication is the rupture of the cyst. In this case, a quick and painful death awaits a person.
Traditional medicine treatment
Despite the severity of the disease, the lacunar cyst has several ways to treat folk remedies. In general, it, like conservative therapy, is aimed at eliminating the causes of the tumor. Therefore, it is necessary to use folk methods in combination with drug therapy and only with the permission of the attending physician.
Medicinal plants that can positively affect a person's condition in this situation are hemlock, elecampane, wormwood, chamomile, calendula, yarrow, raspberry, corn stigmas, Caucasian Dioscorea.
Decoctions or alcohol tinctures can be made from these plants. The decoction is made simply - 1 tbsp. a spoonful of the plant is poured with a glass of boiling water and simmered over low heat for no more than 15 minutes. After the broth has cooled, it must be filtered and taken in a glass half an hour before meals.
Alcohol infusion is made longer - a dry, crushed plant is poured with alcohol in a ratio of 1 to 3, that is, for 100 g of a plant - 300 ml of alcohol, and infused for 2 months in a dark place. Once a week, the infusion should be shaken. After straining, the remedy is taken 1 teaspoon per day, half an hour before meals.
Prevention
To prevent the occurrence of cysts inthe brain needs to take a number of measures aimed at protecting a person from situations in which a cyst begins to develop:
- Stress and nervous tension should be avoided.
- Timely treat viral diseases, preventing them from becoming chronic.
- Protect your head from injury at work or in sports. That is, wear a protective helmet or hard hat.
- It is necessary to monitor blood pressure and take measures to reduce it during periods of increase.
- You need to give up bad habits - smoking and drinking alcohol, because they cause many diseases. A person who smokes is several times more likely to get cancer.
Doctors' recommendations
For the normal functioning of the brain, doctors recommend observing a sleep schedule - going to bed and getting up at the same time, following a proper diet, without an abundance of sweet and fatty foods in it. Drink pure non-carbonated water instead of various drinks. Go in for sports and harden the body.
Reviews
Reviews on the treatment of lacunar cysts of the brain are different. For some, the operation helped to completely get rid of the negative manifestations of the disease, for others, doctors recommend monitoring the growth of education, while treatment is not required at all. In advanced stages after ischemic strokes, surgery is often the only way to save a person's life.
