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Neurology (Expert Forum)
"Micro Lesions" in MS?
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"Micro Lesions" in MS?
by Babet, Nov 03, 1998 12:00AM
I have been reading alot about MS in an attempt to find out what's wrong with me. MS keeps coming up when I see a dr for the 1st time, however, all tests have been normal so far.
I read that in some people there are "micro lesions" that are not picked up by an MRI scanner. Do you know anything about this? If this is so, would that affect results of the other tests done to confirm MS?
I would appreciate your comments on this.
Thank you
Dear Babet,
You are right, recent autopsy data suggest that there are very small lesions in the central nervous system of MS patients which are not seen on MRI. But MRI techniques are improving continuously, and become more and more sensitive. Small lesions do not necessarily affect the results of other tests. However, according to the current definition of MS, abnormalities on MRI and/or in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are required to make the diagnosis of MS. In other terms, if this is MS, something is going to show up on the tests eventually. We do see patients with symptoms "coming and going" like in MS, but with normal tests. We treat their symptoms (but we don't give them specific treatments for MS), we monitor their neurological status, and sometimes we repeat tests. Negative test results are frustrating because of the lack of precise diagnosis, but they can also be reassuring, especially if symptoms are stable, because the prognosis is usually better than the general prognosis of MS.
I hope my answer helped you understand these complicated issues.
