Epiphyseal cyst: What should I know?

Hi there!

I recently went in for a CT scan of my head, and the doctors spotted something on my epiphysis measuring about 7 x 12 mm, though they mentioned it's most likely just a cyst. They told me that surgery isn't necessary at this stage, but they did recommend that I schedule an MRI to get a clearer picture.

Does anyone here have any personal experience with this, whether it involves medical treatments, alternative approaches, or anything else?
Any advice or information you could share would be incredibly helpful...

For context, I'm in my late 20s, and the reason I was getting my head scanned in the first place was actually due to a different issue involving a cyst near my teeth.

Up to this point, I haven't experienced any symptoms or pain in the center of my head.

Thanks so much, and best regards! 😉

You really need to get an MRI done to get a precise look at what we're dealing with here; this isn't something you can just brush off or play around with because even if the histology shows it's mostly benign, it could act "malignant" simply because of where it's sitting—once you've got something pressing against structures in the central nervous system, there’s just zero extra room for anything to expand, and by the time you start feeling those symptoms from the pressure, it'll be too late because you're never going to fully recover... basically, you need intensive monitoring right out of the gate, and if it shows any signs of growing, it's gotta come out ASAP via neurosurgery, and honestly, I don't know anything about any other way to handle it...

If it isn't growing, then maybe you can just wait and keep a close eye on it...

Kevin Garcia12 said:You really need to get an MRI done to get a precise look at what we're dealing with here; this isn't something you can just brush off or play around with because even if the histology shows it's mostly benign, it could act "malignant" simply because of where it's sitting—once you've got something pressing against structures in the central nervous system, there’s just zero extra room for anything to expand, and by the time you start feeling those symptoms from the pressure, it'll be too late because you're never going to fully recover... basically, you need intensive monitoring right out of the gate, and if it shows any signs of growing, it's gotta come out ASAP via neurosurgery, and honestly, I don't know anything about any other way to handle it...

If it isn't growing, then maybe you can just wait and keep a close eye on it...

Thanks for the input, and I was wondering if anyone else here has some specific knowledge or personal experience regarding this, such as the different treatment options and things like that...

You can always get an MRI, but honestly, it’s probably nothing.
Nearly half the population has this without any symptoms or issues—and no, it definitely doesn't need treatment.
There’s nothing to "fix" here. Just keep an eye on it.
The pineal gland—that's the epiphyseal gland—is what actually handles your sleep cycle anyway.
If you're still feeling uneasy, go talk to a neurologist; they'll clear everything up for you.
Either way—no need to panic.

Susan Anderson33 said:You can always get an MRI, but honestly, it’s probably nothing.
Nearly half the population has this without any symptoms or issues—and no, it definitely doesn't need treatment.
There’s nothing to "fix" here. Just keep an eye on it.
The pineal gland—that's the epiphyseal gland—is what actually handles your sleep cycle anyway.
If you're still feeling uneasy, go talk to a neurologist; they'll clear everything up for you.
Either way—no need to panic.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond... I feel a little more at ease now.🙂

An epidermoid cyst is actually quite common—it shows up as an incidental finding in about 5% of brain MRIs, and during autopsies, we see it in roughly 20-40% of people.
Most of the time, these don't cause any symptoms at all, which means there is absolutely no need for surgery.
Surgery is only considered if the cyst begins to grow large enough to cause actual issues.
Once an MRI confirms that it is just a standard cyst, further monitoring isn't even strictly necessary, provided the patient remains symptom-free.
As for alternative treatments? There simply aren't any.

wanderingcobra76 said:An epidermoid cyst is actually quite common—it shows up as an incidental finding in about 5% of brain MRIs, and during autopsies, we see it in roughly 20-40% of people.
Most of the time, these don't cause any symptoms at all, which means there is absolutely no need for surgery.
Surgery is only considered if the cyst begins to grow large enough to cause actual issues.
Once an MRI confirms that it is just a standard cyst, further monitoring isn't even strictly necessary, provided the patient remains symptom-free.
As for alternative treatments? There simply aren't any.

got it