Subependymal Cyst Symptoms, Causes, Prognosis, Treatment

Subependymal pseudocysts are brain cysts present in 5% of all newborns. They develop from germinal matrix, have a fair prognosis, and regress on their own after a few months. However, there is a dismal prognosis in such patients due to the prevalence of related abnormalities. Subependymal cysts are occasionally visible on newborns' cranial sonograms. 

These cysts may result from several pathologic conditions, but they can also develop in certain people as an "isolated" illness with no apparent etiology. Subependymal cysts can also be post-hemorrhagic cysts that develop after birth or they can be present at birth. Congenital cysts can be caused by infection, ischemia damage, or bleeding. 

Subependymal Cyst Symptoms

When this ailment initially manifests, it is usually within the first few months of a child's life, though symptoms might vary greatly from person to person. The most common symptom is lactic acidosis, which can induce nausea, vomiting, breathing issues, and an irregular pulse. 

Disturbed sleep, extreme moodiness, and inexplicable crying are also among the early signs of a subependymal cyst. Other symptoms include a significant increase in irritability, or passivity, a fatigued and inhibited state, poor motor growth in babies, increased muscle tone,  and in severe cases, hypotension and hyporeflexia.

Subependymal Cyst Causes

Subependymal cysts are most frequently brought on by inadequate oxygen or blood supply to the brain during delivery. Even though the majority of professionals are inclined to think that the underlying causes of the disease are yet unknown. 

This cyst is very dangerous for a newborn baby. It develops when there is a lack of oxygen in the region of the ventricles in the brain or there is a bleed in that region. In the majority of instances, subependymal cysts resolve on their own; nevertheless, despite this fact, the child still needs to undergo a specific treatment plan and an ultrasound examination of the brain to monitor their progress.

Subependymal Cyst Prognosis

It has been established that the majority of newborn subependymal cysts have a direct connection to an infection that occurred within the uterus, and the brief prognosis of this cyst is not particularly encouraging. The outlook for SEC for the long future is not well known.

Subependymal Cyst Treatment

Radiation treatment and surgery are both options for treating subependymomas. In many instances, total surgical removal is curative. Radiation therapy has the potential to provide a longer period of control in situations where the tumor cannot be completely removed. In general, patients with subependymomas have a good prognosis.

Surgery is typically used as treatment. The brain tissue in the region where the cyst is created dies as a result of oxygen deprivation, which results in the appearance of the subendymal cyst. Without surgical intervention, the tumor does not go away on its own and may interfere with the child's growth.

This kind of tumor is unlikely to grow in size and has no impact on the infant's important functions or growth. However, there are instances where the subependymal cyst causes the brain tissue to move, which exacerbates neurological symptoms. In this particular scenario, emergency surgical therapy is essential.