Is this a normal MRI?

[FlyersGuy2015]

I just had a brain MRI done this morning without contrast and after it was over I got a CD of my images and was told I would be called tomorrow to discuss the results. In the meantime I have been looking at the images and am wondering if they are significant or not... I included a picture of a scan of the side of my head, I'm particularly interested in the white spots that are circled in red, could this be something or could it be nothing?

Also, will I get a full paper report from the radiologist who read my MRI along with the phone call tomorrow?

Thanks

[immisceo]

We're just laypeople here, not medical professionals. People train for the better part of a decade to be able to proficiently read MRIs. In other words, we can't really help you based on an image alone. It's possible you might have to formally request a copy of the MRI report itself, but it's definitely your right (and a good idea) to make sure you get a copy. We're a little better at unravelling the technical jargon used in those!

Tomorrow's not a long time to wait in the grand scheme of things, but we can all relate to time seeming to stand still when waiting on test results! If you have any other questions, we can try and help with those in the mean time.

[FlyersGuy2015]

I'm not asking anyone to diagnose me, I was just wondering if anyone who has ms and has seen their mri scans could provide their personal opinion on if those white spots could be lesions.

[immisceo]

That's what I meant. It's really to tricky to even have a guess at what's in an image. I mean, it's not in the typical location for MS lesions. I'd even go so far as to say it looks more like an artefact of where brain meets skull and nothing pathological at all. But I don't know any of this for a fact, so it truly is just better to wait for the pros, otherwise it's just the blind leading the blind.

[ConfirmedRachel]

As Immi told you, only a trained professional has the knowledge to correctly interpret the pictures to be able to say what the white spots are.

Even if they are any sort of lesion, you'd need to know the type, location etcetc and compare with Neuro physical assessment of you. They could be something completely unconnected to MS such as migraine lesions. There is no one here who could tell from a picture though.

If you had the radiologists write up then pretty often the people who use this forum can help - because at that stage they may recognise phrases, locations etc that they've seen in their own reports. Quite often results from MRIs are available prior to the Neuro appt.

All the people trying to help here either have MS or are in limboland waiting diagnosis. As Immi also told you we are not medical professionals, what we are, are caring people trying to help others going through what we've been through in the best way each of us can

Waiting until tomorrow is tough, but many wait days, weeks, months for appointments and years for a diagnosis.

If all you have available is the picture, then I believe you'll need to wait til tomorrow and try to relax and keep your mind occupied with something else in the meantime.

Good luck.

[ConfirmedRachel]

Meant to say also that without contrast wouldn't meet MS protocol anyway so you'd need to have that done with contrast if there were any suspicious findings.

[HVAC]

Anything white is called a lesion. MRIs do not show picture of the brain clearly they show spots. A neurologist has to decide what they are. You can have spots which are just age related. You can have some from headaches. A radiologist just points things out for the doctor. They do not diagnose.

MS MRI are done under the MS protocol. There are more slices or pictures to see more. Also it has to be with and with out contrast for MS.

Your spots are not where usual MS lesions are, but I am not a doctor.

Alex

[kittee2015]

Not what you wanted to hear I'm sorry .For me as well I wish that people on the forums could give us definitive answers but they are right ,medical professionals and in particular neuro's are the only once who can interpret the results,

But I feel for you I really do its awful to be in the middle of testing and that waiting period,especially when the tests they choose point in certain scary directions before we even start so it's already playing on our minds... (been dreaming I'm having conversations with my neurologist everyday this week)

I wish a clearly drawn diagnosis conclusion for you so limbo land is over ,and a correct diagnosis so limbo land can go byes byes for a very long time .
Best of luck
Kitty