Does this comment indicate that I have dementia?

Hello

I have just received my MRI results and I am very distressed because I have googled them and I am concerned that I may have early onset dementia. This is the first comment on my MRI scan - 'Bilateral frontal lobe subcortical white matter T2 hyperintensity thought more consistent with small vessel ischaemic change than primary demyelination'.

Could anyone shed some light on this comment?
Thank you.
Cheers
Liz 590

[biowham]

Hi, Liz--

That's a common comment on scans in which the "spots" they don't see aren't of the characteristic shape and location of MS-related spots. It's not something that indicates you have dementia. It means here and there, maybe, some vessels in your brain have responded to a transient lack of oxygen in a way that  left little imprints that show up on the MRI. I think many of us here have had that as part of our MRI reports.

Hope that helps.

BW

[liz590]

Hello and thank you BW  -  I really appreciate your detailed response - and will stop worrying now. Thanks again.
Kind Regards
Liz590

[Lulu54]

BW got that one right - she always does.  This report has nothing to do with dementia - ischemic change is very common.  I hope this really does put you to ease.  Do you have a follow up with your neurologist to review the report?  Be sure you do that to confirm what you have been told here.

[liz590]

Hi Lulu54

Thanks very much for your message Lulu - I really appreciate it. Yes, I do have a follow up appointment with a neurologist next week. I have pins and needles in my fingers and toes 24/7 which is debilitating because of the lack of sleep.
Hopefully I will get some answers next week. Once again thank you.
Kind regards
Liz590

[PastorDan]

Thanks for bringing the term to light.  "Ischemic" has been used conjecturally by more than one radiologist looking between my ears, and I thought I knew what it meant.  Since I lost my Mom to early-onset Alzheimer's, I always pay close attention to things that could relate to that problem.  Consequently, when your posts caught my eye, I felt obliged to consult Wikipedia, and found that ischemia means something entirely different from the meaning that I thought it carried.

So, thanks for sharing; you helped me learn something new, even before sunup!

[essdipity]

I had many MRIs showing 'ischemic changes' or 'ischemic disease,' at least  supposedly. I think the radiologist took one look at my age and pinned it on that. The thing is, I had none of the other factors likely associated with ischemia, and my blood pressure has always been on the low side of normal.

Ultimately it was decided that my abnormal MRIs showed an atypical pattern for MS, not ischemia, and my symptoms certainly matched MS, as did various clinical signs and tests.

Many here have had this experience, the late-onset MS people especially, so if you are not getting answers, keep pursuing them.

And as has been said, don't worry about dementia. If my MRIs meant that, I'd be very disabled indeed at this point.

ess

[liz590]

Thanks very much for you post PastorDan.
Cheers
Liz590

[liz590]

Many thanks for the reassurance essdipity. I feel much saner today than I did yesterday!
Cheers
Liz590