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White Spots MRI
MRI showed white spots on brain "probably due to hypertension." I've never had high blood pressure. Neurologist suspects MS. Are white spots and lesions the same thing? Also, other tests were ordered but I do not have results. How is MS diagnosed?
Several things can cause lesions or "white spots" in the white matter that show up on an MRI, including vascular issues, migraines, celiac disease, HHV-6, and Lyme Disease. If they are not enhanced with contrast and you have active, recent symptoms, they are less likely to be caused by MS.
There are few absolutes with any of these possibilities, so you will probably need a variety of tests to start ruling things out and to get to a diagnosis.
What symptoms led your doctor to order a MRI and suspect MS?
There are few absolutes with any of these possibilities, so you will probably need a variety of tests to start ruling things out and to get to a diagnosis.
What symptoms led your doctor to order a MRI and suspect MS?
Hi bobbifaye - Welcome to our group.
I'm neither a neurologist nor a radiologist. In fact I'm not a doctor of any kind :-) That said, lesions do appear as white spots on MRI. I'm not sure 'white spots' is a medical term though.
The diagnosis of MS has many parts. The standard MS diagnostic protocol is the MacDonald Criteria. This link is to a document on the National MS Society web site. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/download.aspx?id=29943
What it boils down to is that you have 2 or more lesions in different areas of your brain or c-spine, and that they are of different age, and you have a "bad" clinical exam you likely have ms.
This assumes that all other causes of lesions and clinical exam issues have been ruled out. Other issues are generally ruled out via an extensive battery of blood tests.
The diagnosis cane be confirmed through a lumbar puncture (LP). If they find oligoclonal bands in your cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) but not in a blood sample taken at the same time (serum) this would confirm MS.
MS is not an easy or quick diagnosis. What other tests are you waiting on?
Kyle
I'm neither a neurologist nor a radiologist. In fact I'm not a doctor of any kind :-) That said, lesions do appear as white spots on MRI. I'm not sure 'white spots' is a medical term though.
The diagnosis of MS has many parts. The standard MS diagnostic protocol is the MacDonald Criteria. This link is to a document on the National MS Society web site. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/download.aspx?id=29943
What it boils down to is that you have 2 or more lesions in different areas of your brain or c-spine, and that they are of different age, and you have a "bad" clinical exam you likely have ms.
This assumes that all other causes of lesions and clinical exam issues have been ruled out. Other issues are generally ruled out via an extensive battery of blood tests.
The diagnosis cane be confirmed through a lumbar puncture (LP). If they find oligoclonal bands in your cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) but not in a blood sample taken at the same time (serum) this would confirm MS.
MS is not an easy or quick diagnosis. What other tests are you waiting on?
Kyle
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