Need help interpreting a line in MRI report

[Corriel]

Hi all!  I hope everyone is coping as well as they can these days.

I am trying to get a handle on my most recent MRI and they usually take me a few months to decipher as I tend to focus on something different that I did not notice during the previous reading. Classic overthinking to be sure but it makes me feel like I understand what is going on (as much as any of us can with MS).  :)

The sentence that stumps me seems like it could just be vague written but I don't see my neurologist until May 2015 and my GP didn't have anything to offer when I asked.

The radiologist indicates the following in the report: "I cannot identify any definite demyelination within the brainstem or cerebellum."

The scans were done on a 1.5T without contrast and the rest of the report tends to focus on tangibles (basic lesion size, count, location, etc...). Is this just a poor choice of wording or is it common to see in these types of reports?

It was a standard MRI with MS protocol and the neuro was not looking for anything in particular (especially in the brainstem or cerebellum), it was more to give me a baseline with the protocol for future reference.

I would appreciate any thoughts any of you might have,

Corrie

[Corriel]

Thanks ess! Oddly my neuro's office does not have a nurse and his admin staff have never been helpful so calling their office is usually an exercise in frustration.

I am glad they did not find any lesions in those areas but I also want to make sure if there was something there that it is not overlooked because it is not related to MS.

Hi Karry! I actually saw the MRI referral when I filled out the paperwork and all it said was my age and that I had MS. No questions or areas to devote special attention to or any mention of symptoms. Not surprising since I only had my list of new symptoms and my neuro did not do any kind of exam.

I am supposed to have a physiatrist appointment in a couple of months though and she may be able to shed some light.

Thanks very much to both of you!
Corrie

[karryon55]

I'm just wondering if your Neuro had put something about ? ataxia or similar on the MRI referral because I know the brain stem & cerebellum are the areas that can cause this.

Just a thought.

Take Care,

Karry.

[essdipity]

Well, it seems to me that you should take the sentence just as written. You don't have lesions in these areas. That's good!

Possibly something didn't look quite right, and that's why the radiologist even made the comment, but clearly he or she doesn't think whatever it might be, if anything, could be called demyelination. And possibly this is a reminder to watch these spots in future MRIs, but for now, zilch.

I really don't understand how the Canadian system works, but here in the US if I had a question and would not seeing my neuro for many months, I'd call the office and ask. Can't hurt.

ess