Choroid Plexus Cyst on 18Wk Fetus' Brain

here is a link to a site of a couple with the same diagnosis at 17 weeks and the child is fine.

http://choroidplexuscyst.org/

i will keep you and your baby in my prayers for a safe and healthy delivery. T.

I have 3 children ages 19, 17 and 13. My 2 youngest both had those cysts and are perfectly healthy - never been any problems. Our pedi told us they go away on their own.

S.,
This is very common. They found the same thing on my ultrasound, 18 weeks also and everything was fine. My son is now almost two and a totally healthy. I was told that it is a developmental stage and they burst on their own. Hope this eases ome of your nervousness. I also was very worried.

Hi S.,
I've never heard of this particular condition. Pregnancy is supposed to be a wonderful, exciting time in a woman's life and I'm sure you're probably upset and possibly frightened right now. Try to stay calm and think positive thoughts (hard, I know). I googled (not always the best idea) the condition and found this blurb:
It is believed that many adults have one or more tiny CPCs.[1]

CPCs have no impact on an individual's health or development or learning. The fetal brain may create these cysts as a normal part of development. They are temporary and usually are gone by the 32nd week of pregnancy.

Hope that helps a little. I'll pray for you. Best of luck.
Hugs,

Hi S.,

My daughter had CPCs, too. Everything else was normal (head shape, fingers, feet, gut, etc.) and my Maternal/Fetal specialist advised against an amnio since my level 2 results came back excellent. At 26 weeks, the cysts diappeared (as expected) and my 3 year old is PERFECT! Also, my OB/GYN told me that in the case of an otherwise normal ultrasound but seeing CPCs, she has never seen them NOT go away. So, assuming all else is ok, do your best to relax until you get to week 26 or so. It will be hard, but do you best.

We had the same experience with our oldest. I believe he had 4 cysts. The good news is that (from what we were told) they usually disappear by week 26.
I obviously cannot say with absolutes, since I am no doc, but can only share what we learned.
Question: DId they see any additional abnormalities in the initial ultrasound? (extra fold of skin at the base of neck, heart problems, normal fetal head & body size, etc.?) I know that is why they are doing the 2nd, to make sure, but for your reassurance, I remember wanting to grasp on to any hopeful bit of info. If they didn't already see anything else that could be a problem, then try not to worry too much until they tell you there is a problem. (I know - easier said than done).
I worried like crazy & my husband was totally cool since they told us they would probably go away. Fortunately for our son, he didn't have any other issues and the cysts did go away.
I pray for you and your baby that all will turn out well.
Happy to listen if you need to vent your fears...

The same thing happened to a good friend of mine... by the time they had a follow up ultrasound, the cyst had resolved. Today, they have a very spunky 23 month old.

My son had 4 cpc's, and after some research, I found that they are common, and usually disappear. At the first followup ultrasound, 2 had disappeared, and about a month after that, the other 2 had also disappeared. During all the time, we stayed positive, knowing there were no other abnormalities in the fetus. We referred to them as his superpowers, and I also would visualize them disappearing before I fell asleep. Bless you and your family!

Hi S.,

I'm sorry you will have to wait for your level 2 ultrasound - that sounds very frustrating! They also found choroid plexus cysts on my baby during an ultrasound, but they checked for abnormalities at that very moment b/c it was a level 2 ultrasound. Everything turned out fine. The doctor told me that the cysts usually don't mean anything - they call it a "soft marker" with a few problems, meaning that occasionally babies with the cysts also have other problems, but I believe it is not very common. My doctor also told me that they believe a lot of babies have them but they are not always seen by the doctors, and the cysts usually just disappear on their own. When women are on the thinner side, it is easier to see the cysts, so they are more commonly found on babies where the mom is not overweight.

I don't know if this helps at all, but I'm hoping all goes well for you and think that it probably will. Cysts on the brain sounds like such a scary thing, but I think there's usually a good result with this. Good luck!

S.,I-will-say-a-prayer-for-you-and-your-baby.-Think-positive-and-have-faith.

Hi S.,

At my 20 week ultrasound, I was told that there were cysts on the baby's brain. I had already gotten test results at 12 weeks showing that I was at an increased risk for down syndrome. I remember getting the sonogram just a few days before Christmas and being a complete wreck during the holidays. I was sent for a fetal echo cardio gram at about 22 weeks. They told me that everything was fine and they didn't see anything abnormal. My best friend was pregnant at the same time as me and she was also told that there were cysts on her baby's brain and something wrong with the heart and kidneys. When she went back for a follow up ultrasound the technician told her that everything she saw in the previous test was actually somewhat normal because she wasn't 20 weeks yet. The technician says that she hates it when the 20 week sonogram is scheduled when the mom-to-be is only 18 or 19 weeks along because then she has to pass along bad news which almost always clears up on its own as the baby develops.
I now have a healthy almost 2 year old and my best friend has 2 healthy children. The one thing that got me through the rest of my pregnancy was a lot of praying! I hope everything works out for you - I will keep you in my prayers! Keep us updated on the health of you and your baby.

I'm sorry to hear that you have gotten that news.

If you haven't already, go to www.thebump.com and log in to their 2nd trimester board.

Make sure you mention everything you have here including how far along you are. I know for sure you will find other women who are dealing with the same type of thing there who will give you loads of support. You also might want to post during the daytime or early evening because that is when the boards are the busiest.

I've been using those boards since 1st trimester (currently 35 weeks), and can honestly say that it has helped me with figuring out what is "normal" and what needs a phone call to the doc.

I hope everything turns out ok for you and your little one. Good luck and I'll pray for you.

Two of my three babies had cpc found during ultrasound. By the time I had my level II ultrasounds both times the cysts had disappeared already. I know it's very scary and you won't relax until you see that gorgeous baby in two weeks. It is extremely common, though. Deep breaths!

When I was pregnant they found a cyst on my son's brain too. From what I understood though it wasn't necessarily on the brain, it was on this thin area protecting the brain. I do not recall what the term was for it, but I'm guessing its the same thing you are talking about. I remember being SOOOO SCARED and upset over it though. We were sent to a "high risk" doctor for the level II ultrasound. We saw him a couple times. He assured us it was normal and he was confident it would not be a problem, but of course they can't guarantee anything. The cyst disappeared on its own, just like the doctor said it would. I remember my doctor telling me constantly that it was normal and it was very common but eventually it disappears on its own, which is exactly what happened. At the time, my husband and I asked around and found that several others dealt with the same issue. I'm sure you're nervous, but on a positive note, the level II ultrasound was AMAZING. The detail in the pictures was almost a bit scary b/c I felt like - OH MY GOODNESS that is my baby, should I be seeing him so clearly!?!?! LOL. Hang in there!

S.,
I have no experience with this, but I am sorry to hear you are going through this. I know how much stress you are under and I wish nothing but the absolute best for you and the baby.
I will say a prayer for you that everything turns out well.
God Bless You and your little sweetheart growing within you.

P.

I had the same diagnosis with one of my pregnancies. It is totally normal and happens to over 30% of babies between 18-22 weeks. It has to do with all the growth going on right now. It "can" be a very soft marker for a chromosomal abnormality but they can rule that out by looking at health of the other organs. I know it sucks and is so scary but the do clear up. Our modern day technology is great but this is a case of too much unnecessary information. I encourage you to call your doctor back and discuss things further and/or consult with a perinatologist to ease your mind. 2 weeks is a long time wait for some medical reassurance.

I had the same experience. My daughter is almost 2 and is completely healthy. Hang in there!

My Daughter is 5 now.and the same thing I went through at 18weeks. I had a level II every 2 weeks when I was in my last days because of little fluid. Everything was normal and we did a cat scan on her brain at 2 months after she was born. to see if all her suchers were open!! everything was normal. I wouldn't worry. Cyst are sometimes scary because of their name not of what they actually are?? Just ask alot of questions to make yourself not stress over the situation.

Dear S., I am not familiar with this situation and have no experience. I am a mom and a grandmother, I will pray for you and your baby. Please let us know as I am sure we are all moved with concern for you. Sincerely, Grandma Mary

I don't know anything about this - but wanted to let you know that I'm saying a prayer for you and your baby.

I had the same thing with both of my daughters. It was the case that both of their nucal translucency tests came out very well that there was something like a 1 in 10,000 chance of either one having any kind of abnormality. Because of that test being so promising, I was told that the cyst was likely nothing, and they were right in both cases.
After the cysts were found, though, just to put my mind at ease, I had additional testing done. They needed to see if the fingers seperated and a few other things. Those tests also came out positively so we didn't feel that any additional tests were necessary.
I was also told that these cysts are not that uncommon, and often times turn out to be noting.
Hope this helps. Good luck.