microangiopathic disease/gliosis

[roces]

my had an mri a couple weeks ago. the report was to us at least unremarkable. at the bottom of the page under diagnosis it stated microangiopathic disease with gliosis. what is this and what are the causes? it will be another couple weeks until we can get into a neurologist for an explanation

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

I am happy to address the questions that you pose, although it is important that you recognize that my impression is based entirely on the information you have provided in your posting and is by no means a substitute for an office visit with a neurologist.  Diagnosis is contingent on detailed history and physical exam and as such, the following information should be considered solely for educational purposes.

microangiopathic disease is a disease process that affects small blood vessels in the body, it is usually a result of long history of diseases that are known to cause changes in the blood vessels, like high blood pressure, diabetes, high colesterol and also tobacoo smoking. These conditions cause the walls of the vessels to become thick but weak, and therefore they ooze, leak protein, and slow the flow of blood through the body. Gliosis is also a process that reflects some damage in the cells of the brain, in this scenario it is more likely to be the effect of reduced blood flow to some areas that causes some damage in the cells and then the compensatory proliferation that is called gliosis.

I know this sounds concerning but this is actually not that uncommon. We see brain scans with these changes all the time, as people live longer with medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, these changes happen as a result. There are usually no specific symptoms that are caused by these changes as they are not significant enough to cause any symptoms or clinical problems. it simply means that we need to screen for and address any underlying medical conditions. if any of these conditions are present, it is always good to maintain good control of blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, in addition to following a healthy life styly (balanced diet, regular moderate exercise, reducing stress..etc)

Thanks for using the forum. Let me know if you have any further questions.

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