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MRI report
Mar 30, 2009 04:24PM
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"There are several small 2mm foci of increased signal seen within the deep white matter of the right front and occipital lobes towards the vertex as well as the deep white matter in the centrum semiovale bilaterally. No abnormal enhancement is seen on these areas following the administration of gadolinium. No increased signal is seen on the diffusion weighted images to correspond to these lesions. These lesions therefore are indeterminate. Differential diagnosis is extensive including tiny areas of gliosis from prior trauma or infection, but differential diagnosis would include tiny areas of demyelination (example: multiple sclerosis) or the sequelae of an underlying vascular disorder.
The basilar and both cavernous carotid arteries are patent. No mass effect or abnormal enhancing mass lesions is demonstrated.
There is mild cerebellar tonsillar ectopia present.
IMPRESSION:
1. There are several small foci of increased signal seen within the deep white matter of the centrum semiovale bilaterally as well as the subcortical white matter of the right frontal and occipital lobes near the vertex. These lesions are indeterminate. The differential diagnosis is extensive including small areas of demyelination (example: multiple sclerosis) versus areas of gliosis from prior trauma or infection. Alternatively, these small areas of increased signal may be secondary to underlying vascular disorder. Clinical correlation suggested. Follow up MRI in 6 months is recommended.
2. No mass lesion is demonstrated.
3. Mild cerebellar tonsillar ectopia present.
Yet, my current neuro. doesn't think anything is wrong??? Crazy eh??
The basilar and both cavernous carotid arteries are patent. No mass effect or abnormal enhancing mass lesions is demonstrated.
There is mild cerebellar tonsillar ectopia present.
IMPRESSION:
1. There are several small foci of increased signal seen within the deep white matter of the centrum semiovale bilaterally as well as the subcortical white matter of the right frontal and occipital lobes near the vertex. These lesions are indeterminate. The differential diagnosis is extensive including small areas of demyelination (example: multiple sclerosis) versus areas of gliosis from prior trauma or infection. Alternatively, these small areas of increased signal may be secondary to underlying vascular disorder. Clinical correlation suggested. Follow up MRI in 6 months is recommended.
2. No mass lesion is demonstrated.
3. Mild cerebellar tonsillar ectopia present.
Yet, my current neuro. doesn't think anything is wrong??? Crazy eh??
Cheeser,
Did you have an MRI of the entire spine yet? It's hard to keep track of everyone's history, so please forgive me if I am asking something you have already talked about.
When a radiologists sees lots of little spots, he usually will think that it has a vascular component. As most Neuro's will tell you, they like to see lesions around the ventricules of the brain, where the fluid is. I have had a diagnosis of MS for 13 years and I have not only had them near or touching the ventricules, but in the occipital lobe and parietal lobe.
Your Neuro is a nut case. If you are showing a relapsing/remitting pattern to your symptoms and now show lesions on your MRI, he should be looking into Multiple Sclerosis. Vascular problems are not typical of a relapsing/remitting pattern.
You know that something is wrong with your body and your MRI is proof of it. Keep fighting for the answers. It's your body. Not his. Finding a doctor that gives a hoot, can be difficult, but never give up.
All the Best,
Heather
Did you have an MRI of the entire spine yet? It's hard to keep track of everyone's history, so please forgive me if I am asking something you have already talked about.
When a radiologists sees lots of little spots, he usually will think that it has a vascular component. As most Neuro's will tell you, they like to see lesions around the ventricules of the brain, where the fluid is. I have had a diagnosis of MS for 13 years and I have not only had them near or touching the ventricules, but in the occipital lobe and parietal lobe.
Your Neuro is a nut case. If you are showing a relapsing/remitting pattern to your symptoms and now show lesions on your MRI, he should be looking into Multiple Sclerosis. Vascular problems are not typical of a relapsing/remitting pattern.
You know that something is wrong with your body and your MRI is proof of it. Keep fighting for the answers. It's your body. Not his. Finding a doctor that gives a hoot, can be difficult, but never give up.
All the Best,
Heather
This sounds somewhat reminiscent of my January MRI report, which says what it has to, but little more, and draws no real conclusions, but drops oblique hints. Actually, yours is significantly more specific than mine. If things keep up this way, I will again be tempted to put radiologists in the same category as neurologists, with reference to my opinion of the profession in general.
I have not had an MRI of the spine yet, I asked my neuro. if I could have one, and he said it wasn't necessary, and he also said an LP was not necessary, as well. Hence, the reason I would really like to find a new neuro!
The first MRI report, that I do not have stated here said that it is highly unlikely for someone like me, 22 years old, but 21 at that time, to have any vascular disease, which I would agree. I haven't had a stroke, heart attack, nothing of that sort. My biggest beef here is that I just want to know WHY I have the lesions, if it's not MS, then so be it, but I have symptoms, neurological in nature, so I would think that would have SOMETHING to do with it, ya know?? Just doesn't make sense to me...
I'm stuck in the limboland, that's for sure!! It's sure hard to have faith in healthcare, thank God I am going into nursing, to really stand up for my patients and truly be their advocate!!!!
The first MRI report, that I do not have stated here said that it is highly unlikely for someone like me, 22 years old, but 21 at that time, to have any vascular disease, which I would agree. I haven't had a stroke, heart attack, nothing of that sort. My biggest beef here is that I just want to know WHY I have the lesions, if it's not MS, then so be it, but I have symptoms, neurological in nature, so I would think that would have SOMETHING to do with it, ya know?? Just doesn't make sense to me...
I'm stuck in the limboland, that's for sure!! It's sure hard to have faith in healthcare, thank God I am going into nursing, to really stand up for my patients and truly be their advocate!!!!
Hi, again. Thanks for the note the other day, btw. Again, I can't believe how similar our MRI's are! My symptoms are not as severe as yours, however, mostly sensory changes, though I did have two bouts of vertigo in the past that only lasted a day each.
I have had 3 MRI's, one in 2003, 1 in 2007, and 1 just a week ago. No new lesions, but with each MRI my old lesions look more "prominent". My neuro can't say whether this is because of new technology or some real change. I don't get that because doesn't he have other patients who have been scanned on both old and new machines, and do they show similar brightness differences?!
So, I am in the same place as you...not a significant enough change on the MRI to raise any flags, and my symptoms must be stress/anxiety. Poo. I am starting to give in to the anxiety diagnoses, because my mom has MS and I've read that it's very common for family members to develop a fear of the disease and exhibit anxiety. But at the same time, I think I may just be hyper-sensitve to my body's twinges and sensations because of my mom's MS, and that I am just in the early stages of the disease...that a healthy person with my symptoms might not have run straight to a neurologist until something "major" happened. I've read so much about how starting treatment early is a key to slowing the disease progression, so I am eager to put a name on it and get treatment...I would feel lucky having caught it at such an early stage. But, it seems to be one of those things that needs something major clinically to happen in order to say it's MS. It's scary just waiting. Like one day I'll just wake up unable to walk and I'll say, "see, I told you so."
I have been scouring the internet for information on what can cause no change in the number of lesions, but an increased brightness or prominence in the same existing lesions, and whether that could only be attributable to reactivated demyelenation (or an artifact of the new technology) and NOT vasculities, migraines, etc. There just isn't much information that I could find on the characteristics of MS lesions vs. other types of lesions. I think that maybe with the ever-newer MRI technology that they are just finding more and more people with spots on the brain than they ever thought existed. However, that doesn't help those of us who are undiagnosed with neurological symptoms and spots.
Regarding the further testing...my LP was negative (and likely will remain negative until the disease progresses further), so yours may be, too, since we are in similar spots. So for me, while a negative LP result gives me hope, it didn't rule anything out. I also had a negative VEP, and a test for a hole in my heart that could have caused lesions (no hole here). My next step is to do an MRI of the cervical spine, because my neuro says the other possible causes of my lesions would not cause lesions there...so if I do have them on the spine, he will call it MS. So, I hope to have my answer really soon.
Keep in touch!
I have had 3 MRI's, one in 2003, 1 in 2007, and 1 just a week ago. No new lesions, but with each MRI my old lesions look more "prominent". My neuro can't say whether this is because of new technology or some real change. I don't get that because doesn't he have other patients who have been scanned on both old and new machines, and do they show similar brightness differences?!
So, I am in the same place as you...not a significant enough change on the MRI to raise any flags, and my symptoms must be stress/anxiety. Poo. I am starting to give in to the anxiety diagnoses, because my mom has MS and I've read that it's very common for family members to develop a fear of the disease and exhibit anxiety. But at the same time, I think I may just be hyper-sensitve to my body's twinges and sensations because of my mom's MS, and that I am just in the early stages of the disease...that a healthy person with my symptoms might not have run straight to a neurologist until something "major" happened. I've read so much about how starting treatment early is a key to slowing the disease progression, so I am eager to put a name on it and get treatment...I would feel lucky having caught it at such an early stage. But, it seems to be one of those things that needs something major clinically to happen in order to say it's MS. It's scary just waiting. Like one day I'll just wake up unable to walk and I'll say, "see, I told you so."
I have been scouring the internet for information on what can cause no change in the number of lesions, but an increased brightness or prominence in the same existing lesions, and whether that could only be attributable to reactivated demyelenation (or an artifact of the new technology) and NOT vasculities, migraines, etc. There just isn't much information that I could find on the characteristics of MS lesions vs. other types of lesions. I think that maybe with the ever-newer MRI technology that they are just finding more and more people with spots on the brain than they ever thought existed. However, that doesn't help those of us who are undiagnosed with neurological symptoms and spots.
Regarding the further testing...my LP was negative (and likely will remain negative until the disease progresses further), so yours may be, too, since we are in similar spots. So for me, while a negative LP result gives me hope, it didn't rule anything out. I also had a negative VEP, and a test for a hole in my heart that could have caused lesions (no hole here). My next step is to do an MRI of the cervical spine, because my neuro says the other possible causes of my lesions would not cause lesions there...so if I do have them on the spine, he will call it MS. So, I hope to have my answer really soon.
Keep in touch!
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