Davina McCall surprised her fans today after revealing she will undergo brain surgery to remove a tumour.
In an Instagram post, the TV presenter, 57, said she had a “very rare” colloid cyst, which is not cancerous and affects only three in every million people.
The Masked Singer judge only received the diagnosis by chance after scheduling a full body scan.
“I kind of hid my head in the sand for a while, visited some neurosurgeons, had a lot of opinions and realized I needed to get it out,” he said.
‘It’s quite big, it’s 14 mm wide and you have to remove it because if it grows it would be bad. I’m going to have it removed.
The slow-growing tumor, which is usually found near the center of the brain, is not cancerous. But just because it’s benign doesn’t mean it’s harmless.
If left to grow long enough, they put sufferers at greater risk of memory difficulties or even coma. If left untreated, they can even be fatal.
Here MailOnline reveals everything you need to know about the condition.
In an Instagram post, the TV presenter, 57, said she had a “very rare” colloid cyst, which affects only three in every million people. Pictured here is Davina earlier this month.
“I slightly stuck my head in the sand for a while, saw some neurosurgeons, had a lot of opinions and realized I needed to get it out,” she said in an Instagram post today.
Colloid cysts, which are filled with a thick, gel-like substance called colloid, are usually asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally during imaging tests.
If symptoms occur as the tumor grows, they are commonly reported to include headaches that are more severe in the morning upon waking, nausea, and blurred vision.
Vertigo and double vision are other key signs.
According to American neurosurgeon Dr. Anthony D’Ambrosio, the growth takes place within the third ventricle of the brain.
The ventricles are spaces filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a clear, colorless fluid that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord.
If large enough, a colloid cyst obstructs the movement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain.
This results in a buildup of CSF in the ventricles of the brain, leading to the condition hydrocephalus, which causes a variety of disturbing symptoms including personality changes, visual disturbances, and speech problems.
If the obstruction becomes severe enough, it can lead to a coma.
Colloid cysts, which are filled with a thick gel-like substance called colloid, are usually asymptomatic. Pictured is a case report published in the journal Wiley showing the cyst in the center of the brain scan (gray circle).
Colloid cysts, which are filled with a thick, gel-like substance called colloid, are usually asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally during imaging tests. Pictured with partner Michael Douglas in September.
Davina told her Instagram followers this morning: “It’s going to be removed via a craniotomy on the top of my head here, and through both halves of my brain, down the middle.” Pictured with partner Michael Douglas and daughter Holly Robertson in January.
In other cases, it could even lead to a brain herniation, where skull tissue moves and potentially blocks blood flow to the organ.
If increased intracranial pressure is not treated, sudden death is possible.
Colloid cysts are usually treated by surgery: a craniotomy. This requires removing part of the skull bone to expose the brain.
Where the opening is made in the skull depends on several factors, including the size of the tumor.
Davina told her Instagram followers this morning: ‘It’s going to be removed via a craniotomy on the top of my head here, and through both halves of my brain, down the middle.
“Take the cyst, empty it, take it out, Bob is your uncle.”
Instead of performing a craniotomy, a neurosurgeon can also treat the colloid cyst using a minimally invasive procedure called an endoscopic craniotomy, where a small incision is made just behind the hairline.
In both traditional craniotomy and endoscopic craniotomy, colloid filling is gently drained from the cyst and then the cyst wall is closed.
According to Dr. Ambrosio, most patients who undergo an endoscopic craniotomy can return home within one to two days. A craniotomy requires much longer recovery times.
Davina revealed she had been feeling “up and down” and explained she would be in hospital for at least nine days before returning home.