white matter in my brain

[demehalos]

i recently had a ct scan that states several subtle areas of white matter low density which are nonspecific and raise the quesion of chronic ischemic demhelinating or inflammatory lesions.  what the heck does this mean?

[Heather3418]

You answered that question perfectly.  There is nothing that I can add, "BioWaddle."

Heather

[biowham]

And of course, I just answered that very old question from Jan 08. Oh, well. Maybe someone will find it useful.

Yep...I've got a brain like a sieve these days.

BioWaddle

[biowham]

Demehalos--

If you had a CT, it's not as useful as MRI for detecting and distinguishing markers of disease like MS or ischemia. I'd suggest that you ask for an MRI as a follow-up.

But...the answer your question...ischemia means "restriction," in this case, restriction of blood flow/oxygen to tissues. When people have areas of their brain that have been deprived of oxygen because of a vessel blockage, those areas may develop signs that they've been oxygen deprived, or ischemic. Another process that leaves markers of disease on the brain is demyelination. Myelin is the fatty stuff that insulates the extensions that stretch from your nerve cells to other nerve cells. These extensions, called "axons," can suffer scarring of the myelin as a result of inflammation, and this scarring can show up on imaging against a background of normal tissue. The white matter of your brain is the tissue that consists of these myelin-coated axons. The "gray" matter consists of the cell bodies from which the axons extend. On CT or MRI, areas of change like this in the white matter look different.

Like I said, MRI would visualize these things much better, so if you're seeing a neurologist--and you should be--you might want to consider asking about an MRI.

Bio

[Lulu54]

Hi and welcome to this MS forum - there is a great group of people here who will be happy to help you with your questions.  You may not realize it, but you added your questions to a very old post from Jan. 08, and many people may not look at it.

Why don't you copy what you wrote and put it in a new discussion so everyone will see it and try to help? Just off the top of my head from reading your description, the BP problem doesn't fit normal MS problems, but nothing is ever normal with MS.  

i'll look for your new post - Lulu

[biowham]

Hi, Starr2133--

Your best bet for your question is to start a new thread so that everyone can click on it and help you out. Welcome to the board, and I also suggest that you check ou the health pages, especially the one describing MRIs.

But do go ahead and start a new thread with your question so others can properly answer you and give you a welcome.

Bio

[starr2133]

i myself have been having severe headaches over the last year and i thought it was just maybe migrane attacks, i would get nausea, tired and my head would pound so that i couldn't do anything like walk up the stairs. well the last week at work i passed out and they checked my pressure and it was really high, i went home to rest and came back the next day with the same headache and dizziness, they checked my pressure again it was 170/120 they send me home and to get an mri, before they diagnose me with hypertension and i did and the mri came back insufficient white matter changes??????????? what the heck is that???? im 35 year old female?? so i go back to work in which i work for an emergency medical urgent care and saw the doctor he took my bp again it was high again, so now im on a high blood pressure med, which they hoping its why im getting the headaches, and they have sub sided but i still feel dizzy at times, and constantly tired, i had all my blood work done an it was all normal and good, they want me to see a neurologist now to see what the white matter changes mean???? are they causing the head aches

[pennst8r]

I unfortunately cannot answer your question, but I did want to bump it up to the top, where others who can answer will see it.

Penn