What Is a Brain Cyst / Arachnoid Cyst?
Question: What is a brain cyst, an arachnoid cyst?
Answer: Arachnoid cysts are often detected incidentally and many do not cause symptoms. Large series report that arachnoid cysts may be seen in about 1% of the general population.
What should you do if you are told “You have a cyst in your brain”?
- Note the cyst name (e.g., arachnoid cyst), location, and size from the report.
- If there are no symptoms, follow-up is usually planned; the physician determines the interval.
- If there are seizures, progressive headache, or neurological findings, re-evaluation is needed.
Incidental findings on brain MRI are not exceedingly rare; large reviews report incidental brain findings at approximately 2–3%.