My latest MRI results

[carrie235]

Hi All,

I had my third MRI done Monday afternoon.  To recap:

July2010:  Had an MRI done..20+ lesions not typical for MS.  Ran all kinds of tests, no signs of MS.  Come back six months for another MRI.

December 2010:  Another MRI on 3T machine.  No changes....not MS.  Neuro says to come back in 6 months to a year...if no changes, this for sure isn't MS.

December 2011:  MRI on a new 3T machine.  Still, NO CHANGES.  I don't see the Neuro until Jan 11th, but I am assuming that they will say clearly not MS and send me on my way.

I am DX with lyme but like today..having ripples under my skin on my legs, twitching, vibrating....ugh....

Anyway, just wanted to let you know the results...

[carrie235]

Hi Twins,

My lesions are small and scattered throughout my brain.  I guess that MS lesions follow a typical pattern and I think is near the Corpus Callesium...(not sure on spelling)...  The neuro that I saw is an MS specialist at UCSF and said that the lesions are not really anything they had seen.  He asked me if I'd had lyme disease.

Anyway...they ran all the tests you could possibly imagine.  Everything came back normal.  So, like I said above, he told me to come back in six months, etc...Still no changes.  My Impression from my last MRI is as follows:

FINDINGS:

Overall no significant change in comparison the the prior.

Again demonstrated great than 20 supratentorial T2 FLAIR hyperintense lesions, mostly involving the subcortial white matter with some involving the deep whate matter.  No new lesions are identified and none of these lesions show contract enhancement or reduced diffusion to suggest active demyelination.  These lesions are greater than expected for age.  No infratentorial lesions are seen.

The brain is othewise normal in signal intensity and morphylogy.  The corpus callosum is normal in caliber, and brain volume is age-appropriate.  No mass effect, hydrocephalus or evendence for hemorrage.  Left spehnoid mucosal thickenibng is again seen with intrinsic T1 bright aterial consistent with inspissated mucus sugesting chronic obstruction.

IMPRESSION
Multiple, greator than 20, small predominantly subcortial supratentorial T2 FLAIR hyperintense lesions are stable in comparison to the prior.  White matter LAIR hyperintense foci are nonspecific, but this subcortical poredominant patter would be atypical for demyelinating disease.  other differential considerations include vasculitis or chronic small vessel ischemic disease.  

ANYWAY....I eventually had a lyme test done at Igenex Labs and tested positive for Lyme and also a co-infection called erlichosis.  Started treatment in Jan 2011 and made a LOT of progress.  The patchy numbness I'd had nonstop for almost a year cleared up almost immediately.  I also have a lot of tingling/vibrating/pulsating.  That is much better too (although I seem to be having a bit of it today).

My neuro had mentioned to me that it is possible that I became ill at some point and had a "one time" event that caused the lesions.  Also, lyme disease can cause lesions too....  I'll don't think I'll ever know the cause, but thankfully, they are stable and I am not progressing.  I do really wish I knew what caused them.

You may have heard my story before, but all my symptoms came on full force and together almost overnight about 2-3 weeks after I'd had gallbladder surgery.  My Lyme doctor thinks that I've had lyme for many years (I had a tick embedded in my belly button for most like days when I was a teenager).  Anyway, he says that the surgery was a stressor for my body and that my immune system was taxed and caused the lyme disease to flair.  Makes total sense to me.  I still question everything though and wish I didn't have all this worry over every little freaking thing that I feel in my body.  I'm sure we all feel that way.

I go back to see the neuro on Jan 11th which I have a feeling will be my last appointment there...

[maxthecat9196]

Did they ever give you a reason for the 20-plus lesions you do have?  There has got to be a reason for that.

Tammy

[Twinsmom06]

Hi Carrie! I'm sort of new to all this and I'm in "limboland" as they say. I too have many lesions on the brain which were found via an MRI looking for a pituitary tumor. No tumor...but surprise!
When you say you have 20+ lesions that are not typical for MS...what do you mean by that? I know there are your "dawson's fingers" that scream MS but also know that many with MS don't have these. What other types do you have that are considered "not typical". Thanks for sharing...I'm trying to learn!
Kim