Cysts on Fetal Brain

My son had the same thing and he is completely normal, healthy and smart. Don't worry momma!
What I was told is that as ultrasound equipment advances we are able to see more into the developing brain of the baby, and so they are believing more and more that the cysts are normal occurances.
I think I remember them saying they basically just dissolve on their own as the brain gets bigger.
Please don't worry, Momma. I went through about a month of stress and hell when we found out, but I was finally able to calm my spirit by remembering that I'd love my baby no matter what. I'm possitive everything is ok. The technology has come so far in just the past couple years.
Remember to breath and remember to relax. Your baby is developing normally! :)

were they choroid plexus cysts? if so they are a marker for trisomy 18 but the VAST majority of babies with them are totally fine. The impression I got from the perinatologist was that a lot of adults still have them and are totally fine. I could be wrong though. Please call your doctor's office. The stress is no good for you or the baby. If your OB doesn't know as for a perinatologist to talk to. Please let me know how it goes.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I have no experience with this, but I would do some research like you have been, take alist of questions and ask your doctor everything on your list and not leave until you have answers. Frow what I understand, if the rest of the baby's ultrasound is healthy, then the cyst shouldn't be too harmful. Here is some research I found, though I don't know how credintialed it is.

here is a good link with some resources as well:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2008010907281...

"Your doctor probably saw a "choroid plexus cyst" (CPC) inside the fetus' head. Be reassured that if the CPC is a single small cyst and no other problems are found with the fetus, chances are good that the baby is going to be OK.

The choroid plexus is soft tissue in the ventricles, which are fluid-filled spaces located on both sides at the base of the brain. The choroid plexus itself is in the head but not in the brain per se, but it contains fluid that bathes the spinal cord (via the ventricles) and the brain itself.

Cysts are pockets of fluid and/or cells. During an ultrasound, a technician will check the choroid plexus for any dark spots, which may indicate fluid or a cyst. In the second trimester, any spot in the choroid that's bigger than 10 millimeters is considered a cyst worth mentioning. CPCs, which occur in as many as one in 40 normal pregnancies, are small cystic areas often found on routine second-trimester ultrasounds. Half the time, CPCs occur on one side of the brain only (unilateral), and the other half they're on both sides (bilateral). Well over 90% of CPCs disappear on their own by the 26th week of pregnancy without ever affecting the fetus.

Although there's some controversy over whether fetuses with CPCs have an increased risk of chromosome abnormalities, if there is a risk, it's very small. If a fetus has only one isolated cyst smaller than 10 mm, the risk is probably no more than it would be anyway based on the mother's age. But if the fetus has other abnormalities, the risk rises. That's why it's important to do a thorough ultrasound exam and check for chromosomal anomalies. In most fetuses with trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), for example, and many with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), signs of the abnormalities show up on ultrasound."

A complete ultrasound provides information that will help you, your partner, and your doctor decide whether you need an amniocentesis, the ultimate diagnostic tool for chromosomal anomalies. Usually, in the case of CPCs, parents must weigh the risk of having an invasive procedure such as an amniocentesis against their desire to make sure the fetus has no chromosomal anomalies.

My son had the same thing when I was pregnant with him. He had a choroid plexus cyst. If I remember right I was around 4 months pregnant when they discovered the cyst didn't dissolve (it was supposed to dissolve a lot earlier) and they made me wait about 2 more months before I had another ultrasound to see if my baby was okay. The cyst went away by then and my son was born healthy. He is now 5 years old and is very smart and doing great!

Good luck to you! Try not too worry (easier said than done!).

How old are you? My friend had a baby a year ago. She's 38, and the doctor said the cysts could be a sign of down syndrome. She was really worried too, but baby was born healthy with everything being normal

Hi Sam, My son had these too, chloroid plexus cyst there were two small ones that frightened us beyond belief they were resolved when i was 30 weeks. The whole time my doctor reassured me that they will go away, and unless there is another abnormality with them there is no reason for concern!

ash

My third son had this as well (12 years ago). They wouldn't even re-ultrasound me to check if they had disolved. Researching on the internet really stressed me out. In the end, the stress it caused me wasn't worth it. He is a very smart 12 year old in all honors classes and socially developed. With my fourth son I had three ultrasounds for other maternal reasons and they never told me anything was wrong with the baby. He had a brain anyuism at 5 days old (he is healthy and only slightly developmentaly delayed at this point, thank you God!). We mommas have enough stress without the error rates of technology. Try to take a deep breath and let nature take its course.