MRI Incidental finding ...... Terrified me ..Opacified Sphenoid Sinus

[tan235]

Hi Team,
So I had an MRI for an acoustic neuroma, no neuroma was found, but they found an opacified sphenoid sinuses, has anyone had this!?

What the hell does it mean? I'm terrified now, I have to get a CT scan on my sinuses now!
I can't even relax or be happy that I have no tumour!!

[WiseMonkey]

Apparently it's a common incidental finding usually caused by sinus infections, that don't fully clear up. It's an inflammatory condition. I'd ask your Dr to explain more.

[tan235]

My Dr was very unconcerned, she said it was fairly common, and to not worry about it, but I googled it and then went into a huge panic, what if it's Sphenoid sinusitis? That can kill you!! I've gone to my ENT and he's ordered a CT Scan to find out more info. I dont' feel like I have a sinus infection which is weird, just a normal blocked nose!

Thank you for responding x

[tan235]

So I'm so terrified right now.
I went to get an MRI on my ears to rule out an acoustic neuroma, that was fine but they found an oqaue sinus as an incidental finding so asked me to get a CT scan to figure out what it was.
I was thinking a sinus infection - turns out it's not but it's a 'bony expansion' on my sinus that needs to be tested again in 3-6 months to make sure there's no progression.
I asked my Dr if it was cancer and she said 'No,' then I asked, 'why do I need to get it retested' and she said 'For cancer'' = so what the actual frick does that mean??!

I'm sitting here in tears, I can't see the specialist till next week, and I keep reading the CT scan report over and over again trying to figure out what it all means and driving myself crazy.
What if I actually have the starting of cancer here?

I can't breathe, can't eat, I can't cope... this is horrible.

[carriewriting]

I'm so sorry you're going through this Tan. I had an incidental finding on my MRI this week and not knowing what's going on is really scary.

If they're waiting 3-6 months they must be pretty confident that it's either nothing or something that is low risk.

Try to put the report away. Re-reading it is only making you feel worse. Try to give yourself a free pass from worrying over the weekend. Tell yourself you can worry about it again on Monday. Stay busy, do something nice for yourself and take care.

[tan235]

Thank you ... yes my Dr said it's not cancer but when I asked why a review she just said 'cancer' so .... bloody shittake mushrooms.... I've got whiskey, I'll drink that......

[pulisa]

Your doctor can't just say "cancer" and leave it at that...Ring her up and ask her for a full explanation rather than torment yourself reading a report you are not qualified to interpret?

These "incidentalomas" are a hazard with MRI and CT scans..They pick up harmless stuff which you've been walking around with for ages and would never realise you had..but they have to be investigated if found. One more reason to limit sensitive scans to clinical need only.

[tan235]

Thank you so much .... "incidentalomas" are exactly what they are! I'm trying so hard to not panic but I do ....

[tan235]

Actually I did ask her what she meant and she said 'just like a mole, you can go in and they are not sure about it so you go back after 3 month to check it's not changing as it could just 'look' like that. ... so still means theres a chance it's cancer ... you know?

[pulisa]

Yes there's always a chance but considering the wait for a rescan it's more likely just a routine check on a new finding. You've probably had this for ages, Tan and would never had known about it if you hadn't had the scan for something completely different..I'm sorry you've had this to worry about though..It's the worst thing with HA.

[tan235]

Thank you, means a lot to have this support...

[tan235]

HI guys, I'm a mess and have been for a month now.
I got an MRI done to check out why I have slightly loss of hearing in my left ear, turns out there is no reason, i just have it - according to the MRI but it found opaque sinuses. so need to get a CT scan, which found a mild bony expansion near my sphenoid sinus and now the ENT wants me to get a skull base MRI to rule out anything sinister. He has said that the radiologist and he both agree there is nothing sinister looking about it and it's not cancer, but to get a clear diagnosis I'd need to do another MRI. Seriously?!
Why can't they just tell?
I feel sick to my stomach, worried i'm dying from a skull base tumour and I can't cope, and then on top of that to have to wait to get the MRI results again - I dont think I've survive and then what if they find another 'Incidental FINDING!' I feel like it could go on forever and all this time i could be fine but I feel like I"m dying..... can anyone help me here ... I can't stop crying, I"m not living my life properly as I feel like something bad is going on inside my head - this is absolutely HORRIBLE.
I"m never EVER going to get another test done after all of this. I really pray it's all ok and just an 'incidental finding' of little to no issues......


Anyone else been through this?!

[WiseMonkey]

I haven't had what you have but when I had an ultrasound of kidneys etc, the sonographer found an angiomyolimpoma on my left kidney. She said it was likely benign and to have a follow up in 6 months time which I did and it was the same size. This was 12 years ago and it's never caused me any symptoms. Drs like to monitor these growths because occasionally they can grow quite big and require an operation.

[tan235]

Thank you, - I've had a MRI and now a CT and now they want to do an MRI again, I'm thinking - surely they must be able to tell what it is now!

[pulisa]

These sensitive scans pick up loads of incidental findings which would never have been discovered or needed to be discovered. It's a real consequence of scanning and I'm sorry that you're going through this, Tan. I had a similar thing a year ago and of course it's worse when you have HA.

It does make you decide never to push for scans unless there is a real clinical need though.

I hope you get a definitive diagnosis very soon although it might just be "one of those things" and what you were born with.

[Lolalee1]

If your Dr was concerned he would send you for a PET scan so know need to worry.

[tan235]

Maybe they will ask for that NEXT!!!!!!!!

[Flapj]

Oh hey! Something I know about.

I had a sphenoid mucocele that required surgery. It was no big deal. Doctors usually want to get them out because they can grow and press on your optic nerve. They are benign and are made up of essentially mucus that doesn’t drain properly. Sometimes the sphenoid sinus doesn’t develop properly and it can look opacified. Did they order a contrast in any of your scans? CT is the preferred image for sinuses. The surgery was painless and they went through my nose to drain the mucocele.

I know now what you mean about incidental findings. My last brain MRI found a “tumor” that wasn’t a tumor at all, just a denser than usual pituitary gland. They can sometimes develop benign tumors but follow up labs determined mine was fine, just a variant. I had a spine MRI that found a hemangioma- another common and benign thing. Very scary to find all these “tumors” but the reality is that they are nothing significant. Just a reminder that if you go looking, you’re going to find something.

[tan235]

I know! Thank you - Yes i had a CT scan, and it was a bony mass which they think I may have had since I was born .... so I have to have another MRI of that area!! So frustrating, it's tomorrow ...... but thank you so much!!!

[tan235]

I thought I'd respond to this one too - apparently I've had it since birth so it was completely normal!

[Lana]

tan235

So happy to hear this great news!