white thing in scalp MMR/test

i have the migrane (migraine) problem since i was age of 18 years and till now at the age of 30y but now it is very strong pain i cannot tolerate it my eyes get swelling and very much discomfort i cannot take my hand off my headche but recently it was too sharp pain i went to the doc they did my MMR/x-ray she said whoever had migrane (migraine) you will see that kind of white thing in there scalp but one of neurology said that it is slightly big so get further more test.can anybody tell me what it would be.

[Christopher R Newey, 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 is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

There are multiple causes for so called plaques or white spots in the brain. 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. However, these causes takes years to develop and is typically uncommon in younger people. Thus, 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.

There are other causes of white spots in the brain. These include vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels), multiple sclerosis, and others. The different causes can be differentiated based on the various MRI sequences.

You should follow up with your physician who ordered the test to review the results with you. If there is any concern of another process, further workup (such as spinal tap and blood work) may be necessary.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.