Head CT and clean scans

Alright, look, I’ve been dealing with these absolutely relentless headaches for about two and a half months now. Seriously, there were maybe only five days during that whole stretch where my head didn't feel like it was being crushed. I've been living on a constant rotation of Tylenol, Advil, Voltaren, and God knows what else just to function. I finally went in for a CT scan, and the results say I have a 1cm pineal gland cyst, and apparently, there might be more somewhere else—I can't even remember exactly where because I don't have the report 😁 right in front of me. Does anyone actually know anything about this? How do you even treat it? Is it something you take medication for, or am I looking at surgery? Can this actually be dangerous? Please, tell me everything you know. 😉 I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon in a week, so I’m trying to get a heads-up on what we're even talking about here. If anyone has gone through something similar...

Hmm, I’m not totally sure where your cyst is sitting exactly, but a friend of my mom's actually has one in her sinuses and she’s looking at surgery... I mean, I can't really say what they'll tell you since everyone’s situation is so different, but my gut feeling is that if you've got cysts in a "sensitive" spot like the head, they usually have to go.
Just make sure you grill the surgeon when you see them; they're the only ones who'll know the real deal, and maybe they won't even touch it if it's still tiny.

So, I’ve been hearing from a few people that they actually went through with sinus surgery... But honestly, who knows? I guess I'll just have to wait and see what my doctor says. Does anyone actually know how long the recovery takes? Like, do you end up stuck in a hospital bed for days, or is it one of those things where you just get patched up and head straight home? If you guys have any idea, let me know!

She’s heading in for surgery this Thursday, so I’ll actually know what's what once it's over. I'll give you the full scoop then... 🙂

My mom is actually scheduled for surgery in a few days—they’re planning to clear out a polyp from her right sinus. I’m trying to get the lowdown on what this whole process looks like. How does the procedure actually go? Is it high-risk? How long is she going to be stuck in the hospital afterward?
My mom’s biggest issue—aside from those random headaches—is the constant, nonstop mucus drainage straight down the back of her throat. It’s constant. So, that’s my real question: will this surgery actually fix that specific problem?

Can someone please help me make sense of this CT scan report?
Diagnosis: VERTIGO SYNDROME
BRAIN CT:
The brain was scanned using transverse slices at 8mm intervals without contrast. On the scans provided, there are no areas of abnormal density within the brain parenchyma in the infratentorial region.
The III ventricle, IV ventricle, and lateral ventricles all show normal shape and width.
Sulci on the cerebral convexity are appropriately deep.
Conclusion: Brain CT shows no significant pathomorphological changes in the brain parenchyma. An MRI of the brain is recommended.

Look, I know I’m just a layperson here, but I'm assuming this isn't anything major, right??? But honestly, it's still bugging me—why are they pushing for an MRI... is there actually some suspicion of something going on??? Just to add some context, I've been dealing with these brutal dizzy spells for about three months now... this weird sensation in my head... like it doesn't even belong to me... one part of it feels off... I don't even know how to put it into words... I constantly feel like I'm about to pass out... and I'm just perpetually exhausted.
Thanks...

rowdypuma79 said:Can someone please help me make sense of this CT scan result...
Referral for VERTIGO SYNDROME
BRAIN CT:
A brain CT was performed using 8 mm transverse slices without contrast. On the resulting scans, there are no areas of altered density seen within the infratentorial brain parenchyma.
The III ventricle, IV ventricle, and lateral ventricles show normal shape and width.
Sulci on the cerebral convexity are appropriately deep.
Conclusion: Brain CT shows no significant pathomorphological changes in the brain parenchyma. An MRI of the brain is recommended.

Even though I’m not a doctor, I’m assuming this isn't anything scary??? But it still bugs me a little why they want an MRI... is there some suspicion about something or what??? Just to add, for the last 3 months I've been dealing with insane dizziness... this weird feeling in my head... like part of it isn't even mine... I don't know how to describe it... I often feel like I'm gonna pass out... and I'm constantly sleepy...
Thanks...

So you got sent for a CT because of the vertigo. The results look fine. They're probably just sending you for an MRI because it gives a way more complete and detailed picture.
And looking at those dizzy spells you mentioned—honestly, I deal with almost the exact same thing. Only for me, it’s been going on for nearly a year now. It still hits me from time to time. I had an MRI done and everything came back clear. Turns out for me, it's an ear issue. When it hits, I can barely get out of bed.
Did you have any ear infections right before the dizziness started? Did it hit you all of a sudden? Does it come with nausea? Any neck issues? What kind of tests have you actually done for the vertigo so far? There are so many reasons for it—could be balance center stuff, neurological, neck problems, or even just anxiety/stress....

Drew Jones26 said:So, they're sending you for a CT scan because of the dizziness. If that comes back clear, they'll likely push for an MRI just because it gives a way more detailed picture.
On a side note, about those dizzy spells—I deal with something almost identical every once in a while. Except for me, it's been going on for nearly a year now, and it still hits me out of nowhere. I had my MRI done, everything looked fine, but turns out it’s an ear thing for me. When it hits, I can barely even get out of bed.
Did you have an ear infection right before this started? Did the vertigo hit you all at once? Are you feeling nauseous too? Any neck issues? What kind of tests have you actually gone through so far? Dizziness is such a wildcard—it could be anything from your vestibular system or neurological stuff to your neck, or even just stress and anxiety...

For me, the dizziness kicked in after gallbladder surgery... though I did deal with frequent ear infections back in the day... it started off gradual, but eventually, it turned into a total "ocean" of spinning. I had an AV test done... doctor said it was spontaneous nystagmus grade II???... I was taking Urutol... Bilobil Forte and Vitamin E... which helped dial down the dizziness a bit... but I still have this weird sensation in my head. It feels like one part of my brain is constantly asleep... I'm perpetually exhausted... and I feel like I'm about to pass out. Plus, I've got GI issues too, and my mental health has basically hitched a ride on all of this. I deal with nausea every single day, but that's from bile reflux... and honestly, I'm stuck in bed most of the time. Since that surgery, I've felt terrible... choking sensations... nausea... vertigo... it's just awful. I've done countless tests, and yet nobody seems to be able to pin down what's actually causing all this.

Lisa Barrett22 said:So, I dealt with non-stop headaches for about two and a half months—maybe there were only five days where my head didn't throb—and nothing worked except for stuff like Tylenol, Advil, or Voltaren. I finally went in for a head CT, and it shows a 1cm pineal gland cyst, with the possibility of others being tucked away somewhere else (I don't have the report right here 😁). Does anyone actually know anything about this? How do you even treat it? Is it something you take pills for, or is surgery the only way out? Could it be dangerous? Please, tell me everything. 😉 I’ve got an appointment with a neurosurgeon in a week, so I’m trying to get a sense of what I'm walking into. If anyone has gone through this...

I’m actually in the same boat; I have to go get a head CT because of sinus issues and a cyst. I've been struggling with this for years, and from what I understand, some people end up needing surgery while others don't—it really just depends on the specifics of the case. In my situation, the cyst is located above my left eye, so it looks a bit swollen sometimes. I'm honestly hoping they just operate, because for some, that's the only real fix; others try to manage it and find themselves back at square one years later. It’s better to just deal with it surgically than to try treating it with meds, since you can't really "cure" a cyst with a pill 🙂. You can check out YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDilFvAgdco to see some clips of how they handle it. It varies depending on the location, but it isn't usually life-threatening, and once the surgery is done and you're on the right post-op meds, everything should settle down fine.