Key takeaways
- A pineal cyst is a benign fluid-filled sac that occurs in the brain’s pineal gland. Although they usually don’t cause symptoms, some people may experience vague symptoms, like a headache.
- Pineal cysts are most common in young adults. They usually shrink on their own as a person ages.
- If pineal cysts cause severe symptoms or other complications, a doctor may recommend surgical removal. However, in most cases, these cysts will resolve without medical treatment.
Doctors may detect a pineal cyst during an MRI scan for an unrelated health issue. Most of the time, these cysts don’t cause any symptoms.
In this article, we explain what pineal cysts are, the most common symptoms, and how doctors diagnose them. We also discuss treatment options and links to find a doctor in your area.
A cyst is a fluid-filled sac. Cysts can appear in various parts of your body. A pineal cyst occurs in the pineal gland, which is in the middle of your brain.
Pineal cysts are benign, meaning they aren’t cancerous. They can have a single cavity or multiple cavities.
A 2025 case series suggests pineal cysts affect between 1% and 4% of the population. They may be most common in young adults and become less common as people age.
Another
Most pineal cysts don’t cause any symptoms. People may only know they have this type of cyst during an MRI scan for an unrelated health issue.
When symptoms do occur, they might include the following:
- headache
- changes in sleep
- visual disturbances
- nausea and vomiting
- dizziness
Since the pineal gland is so deep in the brain, doctors can only detect pineal cysts using imaging tests. In most cases, doctors detect them when performing an MRI for an unrelated reason.
If a person has symptoms, such as headache and visual disturbances, doctors may carry out an MRI to rule out conditions as part of their diagnostic process.
Can pineal cysts change over time?
According to a 2021 article, it’s unclear whether symptomatic pineal cysts develop shortly before symptoms appear or whether symptoms occur when a pre-existing cyst grows.
If a simple pineal cyst is under 10 millimeters (mm) in diameter, doctors may consider this a natural variation in the gland. If a cyst is more complex, doctors may prefer to monitor it.
Pineal cysts may grow during young adulthood but stabilize or decrease in size as a person ages. A
Therefore, doctors may only suggest monitoring cysts that occur in children or younger adults.
Most people find out they have a pineal cyst during an MRI for an unrelated reason. However, if you have the following symptoms, you may benefit from speaking with a doctor:
- persistent or worsening headaches
- nausea and vomiting
- visual or psychiatric disturbances
- dizziness
- sleep difficulty
These symptoms are quite general and could occur due to various underlying reasons. Only a qualified healthcare professional can diagnose the cause and recommend suitable treatments.
In rare cases, pineal cysts may cause hydrocephalus, which is when fluid builds up in your brain and puts pressure on the brain, or Parinaud syndrome. Parinaud syndrome involves visual disturbances due to damage to the midbrain.
If either of these complications occurs, doctors may suggest surgical treatment to remove the pineal cyst.
If people only have minor symptoms without complications, doctors may suggest monitoring the cyst to see if it shrinks on its own.
People can speak with their doctor about the most suitable treatment for them.
Pineal cysts are cysts that develop in the pineal gland, which is in the middle of your brain. They don’t usually cause symptoms and aren’t cancerous.
Doctors may find a pineal cyst during MRI scans for an unrelated health issue. They’re most common in young adults and tend to shrink over time on their own.
If a pineal cyst causes severe symptoms or complications that put pressure on your brain, a doctor may recommend surgical removal. If they occur in children or are small in size, doctors may want to monitor the cyst’s growth over time.