Thank you for the link - interesting read. Being a non-medical person, I don't understand it all, but I got the general idea at least of the various things that could be the cause of the UBO on my corpus callosum. It scares me that the neurologist just dismissed this...
Chrisy
This link http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/reprint/179/1/251 takes you to a paper that discussed various diseases along with MRI images that are seen in adults and children who have lesions of the corpus callosum.
You need to at least weave one "tell her what she won Johnny" in there!
I love the "but wait there's more's"!
I can't wait to see the verbiage in my reports...
Richard
ThePriceIsRightMBA
Thank you for your expert opinion! I agree with you that whatever the UBO is - it shouldn't be disregarded. The neuro just said my MRI was "normal", he said that my ENG/VNG was "normal" even though the report from the doctor who administered the test stated that I "have a bilateral weakness to caloric testing, and further tests to rule out a CNS disorder should be considered". So with the numbness/tingling, bladder issues, fatigue, floaters in my eye, cramping/muscle twitches, vertigo, and a myriad of other symptoms....he suggested "sensory seizures" as a diagnosis...
In reading through the notes in my medical report, he says that that the "hot bath was negative" - uh, I never had a hot bath test...so not sure where that came from...I am also suprised (although not sure why) he didn't even write down some of the things we talked about - maybe he felt they weren't relevant? That just seems odd to me - seems like you would want all the info you could get to try to solve the puzzle.
In his synopsis - he inferred that in our appointment to go over the MRI & ENG/VNG test results that we went over all of my symptoms & how I felt physically and he stated that I said "there is no change" - first, we never had that conversation, and second I never had the time to ask him anything in that appointment - it lasted 13 minutes and when I began to ask questions - he stood up, put out his hand to shake mine & ushered me out the door. I was stunned. I hadn't ever been treated that way by a doctor before.
Obviously, that is a large part of why I am moving on to another neuro.
If you have any more info, I would really appreciate it!
Chrisy
Hear, hear! I completely agree. Lesions in a person's head are not normal, so to put a 'UBO' tag on them makes them sound rather benign.
I think neurologists have a lot to answer for, though. A lot of times I'll tell mine about a symptom, and he'll tell me that "You can't have that symptom because you don't have damage in that area of your brain." And then he's discounting actual lesions in my brain, so really he's kinda useless!
UBO is should be a "temporary" name until they come up with a diagnosis for a person's symptoms and problems. I agree that many neuros dismiss them out of hand as if the name confers some benign nature to them. This is not the case. They are something. If they are found because you went LOOKING for lesions, then I think the term UBO should not be used (It is used by the radiologist, though who is not in charge of putting all the info together to make a diagnosis).
If a lesion is found incidentally becasue the MRI was done for some other reason - head injury, say - and there is nothing to suggest a neurologic disorder, then I think it is reasonable to say you don't know what it is. But, it should not be just dismissed! What if later you come in with symptoms suggestive of a demyelinating event? That lesion might well be strong evidence - if someone remembers it!
Quix
Hi, There! You probably already know my answer, as do the other members here. Your question is the perfect one. "How can you dismiss ANY lesion when you went looking for lesions?" The problem is that your neurologist believes that there is a minimum number of lesions that must be present before he will consider MS. This is Hogwash!
It's true that the one UBO may be insufficienct to clinch the diagnosis, but it must be kept in mind throughout the whole work up and even after if they ultimately say they don't know.
As you all know, after I presented with right leg weakness and spasticity I had a UBO in my periventricular right frontal lobe. This UBO was dismissed outright by my evil neuro, and is the only MS plaque I have in my brain.
But, Wait! There's More!
The location of any UBOs (Unidentified Bright Objects) must also be considered. Yours is in the corpus callosum. Wow! Very few neurologic diseases cause lesions there, with the very notable exception of MS. Certainly it is not a location where you see the "normal" aged-related lesions. The MRI report just says that it is in the rostral part which means (in this case) the area that is closest to the face. The corpus callosum is an area of intense density of myelinated fibers, which given it a whiter, denser appearance than the white matter. Seen best from the side it appears to be a long dense strip that is about 3/4 of an inch high and runs back to front (with front being the face). It has a slight curve upwards to it.
The corpus callosum is the area where all the neurons from one side cross over to the other and then progress down to the spine and the rest of the body. So a lesion there can really affect the body in odd ways like with cooridination of intent and action. Remember that many areas of damage in one side of the brain will show up on the other side of the body. A lesion in the corpus c. though can affect signals crossing over to both sides and cause all sorts of problems.
Any definite lesions in that location should be viewed with high suspicion for MS. I will go read your earlier posts to put this together with your other problems.
The direct question I have for your neuro is: "What diseases cause lesions in the corpus callosum?" It is also a question I should look up to know what others do it.
Quix
Typically neuros discount UBOs, but I'm not sure why. (It stands for 'unidentified bright object.') My punctate hyperintense T2 lesions were also called UBOs, but after more testing, I was diagnosed with MS - so probably those weren't UBOs.
The most important thing is to get the MRI redone with contrast. I'm not sure why they had it done without contrast.
Heather,
Thank you for the link. I just don't know how a neuro can dismiss a "UBO" - when he told me the whole reason he wanted to do the MRI was to "rule out MS"....
Trying to keep my self together.... :)
Chrisy
Hi Chrisy,
Go to this website. It gives you a great look and explanation of the corpus callosum.
nodcc.org/what_is_the_corpus_callosum.php
This is a common area for MS lesions. I am going to see what more information I can find for you and post again later, if someone doesn't do it before me.
The link above of course would be www and a dot after that, then the rest of the link. Have to be careful how you type web links in the Forum, because they sometimes get automatically deleled...so we all have learned to "disguise" them.
Big Hugs,
Heather