Advanced Treatment of Pineal Cysts

Pineal cysts are benign, fluid-filled deposits located in the pineal gland region of the brain. Although most pineal cysts are small, large pineal cysts can cause a variety of symptoms such as: headaches, normal pressure hydrocephalus (increased pressure on the brain due to build-up excess fluid), and even seizures and loss of consciousness in extreme cases.

Pineal cysts are typically found in young adults, ranging from 20 to 30 years of age, and are three times more likely to occur in women than in men. The exact cause of pineal cysts is unknown.

However, since they are seen most frequently in young women, one common hypothesis is that hormonal changes play a role in their formation. As women age, the cyst initially increases and then eventually decreases in size, following a similar pattern to hormonal stages. With men, they tend to remain stable over time.

View a video presentation on the diagnosis and treatment of pineal cysts with Mischer Neuroscience Institute director Dr. Dong Kim below.

Contact Us If you would like to speak to a neurologist or neurosurgeon about pineal cysts, please click below and use the online tool to help us contact you. Contact Us »

Refer a Patient » Isabella's Story After suffering from painful symptoms for the first 12 years of her life, Bella and her family wondered when she would find relief. While doctors discovered a cyst in the pineal region of Bella’s brain, no one was willing to operate until Dr. Kim. Read Isabella's Full Story »

About the Host

Dong Kim, M.D. Fellowship trained neurosurgeon with expertise in research and treatment of: Brain aneurysms, brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), skull base tumors and meningiomas, pineal cysts, carotid disease, trigeminal neuralgia, and chiari malformations

Serves as Chief of neurosurgery for Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and Professor and Chair of neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth

Honored with numerous awards and was named to America's Top Surgeons, Marquis Who's Who and Who's Who in America

Has authored studies published in journals such as Nature Genetics, Brain Research, International Journal of Cancer, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery and Genes, Chrom, Cancer

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