Medical Questions & Answers

Question: After an MRI brain scan I have been diagnosed as having a pineal cyst What is this?
The pineal gland sits between the two hemispheres at the front of the brain behind the lower center of your forehead. It is sometimes known as the third eye, and in some lizards is actually visible as a bump on the forehead.
In humans it acts as the clock of the body, regulating multiple biologic rhythms. It is able to sense light or dark, and produces a substance known melatonin that regulates many time-based activities in the body including the ability to awake from sleep at a desired time, menstrual periods and the onset of puberty. It is also responsible for jet lag with intercontinental travel.
A cyst of the gland may be inconsequential, may interfere with its function or may put pressure on nearby brain tissue and nerves. Further tests, and possibly a biopsy, may need to be performed to follow the progress of the cyst and determine its cause before any specific treatment is undertaken.

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