White matter on MRI

[Sandy532]

I'm a 30 yr/female, in good health with a slight heart murmur. A couple of months ago I started to feel a tingling sensation on the entire left side of my body. It went away after about 3/4 weeks, but I still get minor tingling in my arms, feet, legs, head or just my face (no numbness). It randomly happens in different spots now. I also notice in the evenings before I go to sleep, I'm a little jumpy and sensitive to noise, but when I wake up in the morning, I'm completely fine.  My GP referred me to a neurologist who did an MRI and took various lab work including thyroid, lupus, B levels, etc The bloodwork all came back normal. However, the MRI tests showed white matter, whatever that means. She asked me if I ever had head trauma as a child or if I get headaches, I've never had trauma as a child. I get headaches very rarely and no sinus problems. She took my BP which was fine and basically told me that my MRI isn't normal but it's not abnormal (what does that mean??), so she wants to get a test done again in a YEAR!! She thinks the tingling is due to anxiety, maybe due to my recent engagement and told me not to worry. When I asked her if it was MS, she said it's not typical, but ocassionaly it can happen with white matter. She definitely didn't make me feel any better! I know when i was getting the MRI done, I got to a point where I almost had the guy take me out because I started to freak out, my heart started pounding and I think I was having an anxiety/panic attack, but I managed to calm myself down and I was a little shaky in there and didn't let him know, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it. I'm so confused, should i not worry about it at all or should I get a second opinion, what could that white matter mean???

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Thank you for your question. Although your previous head injury, infection may be the potential cause of these lesions, but most of the times cause of the brain's white matter pathology remains unknown. Therefore, I would suggest consult a neurologist in this regard to reach at probable diagnosis here. Hope this helps.

[Sandy532]

Hi Guys, thanks for your respsonses.

The neuro didn't tell me it's the first signs of MS. However, when I asked could this be MS she said occasionally it can be a sign, but typically it's not. I think she was just trying to play it safe because she's not sure what it is. It's funny that you mention reading numbers backwards, it doesn't happen to me often, but every now and then I will mix up two numbers only like two of them when I'm writing them down. I can read them to people just fine, but now I'm wondering what will happen a year from now, it's scary. She made me walk in a line and checked my reflexes which are all fine. Every now and then I'll get this sharp pain in the back of my head which only lasts for a few seconds or a few mins, nothing that prevents me from doing things. Sometimes I feel a little shaky inside and I don't know if it's from anxiety or what. The doctor also asked if I had any arm or leg weakness and right now I don't have any of that. She just said watch to see if any symptoms get worse or if there are any changes and to let her know.

I spoke with a family friend who's a doctor and she told me that MS is a disease they can only diagnose when all other possibilities have been excluded. There is no real way to check.

Dr. Anurag - I did have malaria when I was 12 and I remember I've had about 3 head injuries as a child, nothing too severe. Once I fell and hit my head on some bricks and was bleeding, my parents took me to the ER and they said I was fine. Another time I was about 5 and my brother hit me with a garden shovel on my head, again I was bleeding, last but not least I was about 12 and fell of my bike, hit my head and had amnesia for about half an hour. I passed out a couple mins later because I think I freaked out and when I woke up I remembered everything. I did go to the ER for that and they said everything should be okay. I'm wondering if any of this could be a cause. But thank you for your response that was helpful. I'm not sure the exact results of my test because I haven't received a copy of the report.

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Thank you for your question. Although without being able to placing your findings in context with clinical features and the results of other investigation such as hematological, MRI, I can not offer the specific advice & treatment you need. However, I will try to provide you some relevant information about your health concern.

In white matter disease there is pathology associated with the brain white matter, either exclusively or in combination with grey matter changes. It occurs due to metabolism errors, exogenous toxins released by virus, autoimmune disease, leukodystrophy, demyelination, and radiation effects. Spasticity, muscle weakness, paralysis, hyper-reflexia and movement disorder may be the clinical features associated with white matter disease that need to be evaluated thoroughly. However, it is sad to say that there is no permanent cure but conservative treatment & physiotherapy exercises that would help you to regain your normal function and stopping the further progression of the disease. Please consult a neurologist in this regards. Hope this helps.

[tini936]

Hi, Sandy532, i had an MRI last yr. and i also had white matter in my brain T2 area. My Dr. told me that it was frist signs of MS. He also called them BRAIN LESSIONS.... It made me so upset i started to look for second opionion  in Houston to some of the best Dr. there. the two that i went to told me that it was nothing and that i shouldn't worry about it.  Today a yr later i am starting to feel the same symptoms as i was before but stronger.  The pressure in my head along with a feeling that i have something stuck in my throat, i also feel pressure in my neck down to my shoulder. The feeling in the base of my neck now feels like a stabbing ,burning sensation, that also runs up to my  head.  I cannot lay on it because its uncomfortable. I have also noticed that when i read numbers i get them backwards.  If i am reading a phone # for ex. or if someone is giving me a number i see or say them all messed up. same #'s but wrong places.  I am afraid also. I don't now what to do or where to go now.  If anyone out there has the answer for any of this PLEASE let me know.