Choroid Plexus Cysts

[SheWolf]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jul-20-01 AT 10:17AM (Est)[/font][p]I am currently 30 weeks pregnant, with only 10 weeks to go!! During my 18 week ultrasound, choroid plexus cysts were found on the baby brain, which is one of the possible markers for a genetic disorder such as Down syndrome. I referred to a genetic specialist who perform an second ultrasound at 22 weeks, and the cysts were gone, but that did not mean the chance of of the disorder was gone. The only way to be sure was to have an amnio, but the doctor felt our chance of having a normal baby based on everything else that looked normal were really good, so my husband and I decided against the risk of the amnio.

But I was wondering if anyone else had experienced these markers and how things turned out. Now that I am getting closer to my due date I can't help but wonder if everything will turn out okay.

 

[DebbieH]

Hi!

I am not familiar at all with that disorder but wanted to let you know that I am thinking and praying that everything will turn out okay for you and the baby! Maybe Sheila (the pregnancy expert here) or someone else can jump in here for you with some info. Keep in touch and I'm so excited for you that you are on the countdown!

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!

 

[Chris S.]

Hi,
First of all, congrats on having only 10 weeks to go! I'm at 37 weeks--only 3 to go-- and the time has just flown over the past few months!
I did not have the exact same experience as you, and can't really address your specific question about the cysts, but I did have a similar scare and hope I can reassure you somewhat. In a nutshell: Way back when I took the AFP test, it came back low, which indicates an increased risk for Downs. A week later, I had a Level II ultrasound, which showed that no markers were present. Based on that ultrasound and our genetic history, my doctor also felt that the baby would be fine. Like you, we also decided to forgo amnio.
We learned a lot during that hellish week between ultrasounds(both by doing research and from consulting a friend of ours who is a sonographer). Ultrasound can be 98 % reliable *if* the doctor is able to see all the body parts necessary to assess the fetus. That said, it can be common for a doctor to see something that *appears* to be a marker but actually isn't. And, the presence of just one marker does not usually indicate a problem with the fetus. In the words of our sonographer friend, "if you see A, then usually you know you'll see B." If your baby really has a chromosomal problem, there will generally be a number of markers, not just one. She also mentioned that of all the markers that indicate Downs, the biggest tipoff is the thickening behind the neck. If that's not present, the less chance there is that the baby has Downs. Please bear in mind that I am *not* a medical professional, so check with your OB if you aren't sure of anything.
After our scare, I spoke to quite a few people who had scares of their own, in one way or another, and they all ended up with healthy babies. In the end, I had to learn to trust my doctor, focus on the love I have for my baby, and trust that he/she is fine.
In any case, the fact that your doctor feels that your baby is fine should put your mind at ease. If Doc truly felt there was a risk, he/she would likely have pushed harder for amnio. Take heart, trust your doc and your baby. In all reality, chances are your baby is just fine. Try to relax as much as you can and trust that. I'll be thinking of you.

 

[SheWolf]

Many Thanks

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jul-21-01 AT 09:16PM (Est)[/font][p]I wanted to thank both Debbie and Chris for your words of reassurance. I will definitely keep you posted.

Congratulations, to you Chris, especially with only three weeks to go !! I wish you all the best! Alot of what you wrote in your post correspondes to what the genetic specialist said, which is, that with only one marker present there really isn't that much to worry about. My AFP results were good and physically everything else with the the baby is normal. What an amazing thing ultrasound is !! At the second ultrasound, the face was unbelievably clear. My husband and I were blown away by that image.

Thank again for your kindness, it really is appreciated.

Linda

 

[Catherine H.]

Hi Linda,

I haven't been online in a while since I am busy taking care of my new daughter (8 weeks old), but when I got on today and saw your message I had to respond - sorry it is a little late! It sounds like I had a very similar experience to yours and believe me, I know how scary it can be to have an ultrasound where they find a "marker". At my 18 week ultrasound the technician found bi-lateral choroid plexus cysts. My doctor informed us that even though this "marker" had been located the chances were good that everything would be okay since my AFP results were fine and everything else looked normal. My husband and I agonized over whether we should have an amnio and ultimately decided to go ahead with it because we wanted to be mentally prepared if anything was in fact wrong. Everything turned out fine in the amnio and our daughter is just perfect (at least we like to think so!). I'm sure that this will be the case for you too! There is a website called choroidplexuscyst.org that has some interesting articles and a posting site for parents with questions. Good luck to you!

Catherine

 

[SheWolf]

Hello

Thanks for your post, it was really reassuring. Sounds like you and I experienced the same identical thing. My AFP results were normal as so was everything else with the baby. My genenic specialist's own sister had the same "markers" and also had the same outcome as you. (She also had the amnio even though her brother didn't think she needed it.)

Congratulations on your new daughter ! And I am sure she is absolutely perfect !! I can hardly believe that my own baby could possibly be here in just 9 weeks!

Thanks again for your story, it really did help to put my mind at ease.

Linda