MRI results and speech issue

Hi,
For a few weeks I noted that I was using the wrong word frequently when speaking.  I didnt have to search or halt my speech I just kept going but with an oddball word inserted.  I caught it afterward and so did the people I was talking too.
Had an MRI w/out contrast with these findings:

There is an area of abnormal signal identified in teh right frontal lobe.  Is is somewhat irregular an oblong shape with the suggestion of a point of cycstic encephalomalacia within it.  The finding is nonspecific and may represent an area of gliosis or demyelination.  A punctate area of increased signal is also identified in the periventricular white matter regions at that level, both on the right and left as shown in the axial FLAIR views.  There is a 5 mm nodult of hyperintense signal in the subcortical portion of the mid left frontal lobe as seen in the axial view.
There is no diffusion pathhology identified.  T1 weighted images were unremarkable.  The remainder of the exam is unremarkable.The corpus collosum is unremarkable.  There is a small focus of increased signal identified in the frontoparietal region as seen on FLAIR sagittal views.
Impression: Nonspecific white matter abnormalities are identified in the supratentorial space.  These may represent areas of gliosis or demyelination.  There is no evidence of an acute infarct id'd.  

Would you be so kind as to give me your overall impression of these results?  I am hard pressed to find a definition that I understand of cystic encephalomalacia - what is it, and what is the prognosis.  

I am a 46 yo female pretty much in good health.

Thanks

[Shazia Alam, DO]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms are that your son is experiencing. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

Usually encephalomalacia means that it may be an area which was previously damaged, from either trauma or a previous stroke.

There are multiple causes for so called white matter changes. Most often, these are due to what is called "chronic small vessel disease", literally meaning diseased small vessels that supply blood flow to the brain. This is not an uncommon process in the brain and increases with age. This is not a disease in and of itself but rather is a reflection of unhealthy blood vessels, damaged by years of plaque build-up. This is most often due to a combination of several factors including the following: high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and high cholesterol. If these factors are well controlled, the damage to the brain can be stabilized and further damage prevented.

Other causes of plaques in the brain can be migraine. People with migraine often have plaques on their MRI that are of unclear cause or significance.

Other causes of plaques on MRI can usually be distinguished based on history and symptoms, such as symptoms of neurologic deficit (for example arm weakness or difficulty walking etc). These can also be distinguished based on the MRI appearance. These include, but are not limited to, multiple sclerosis, other demyelinating disease, and inflammatory processes such as vasculitis.