MS or not MS need meanings

[simpleopinion3]

What do these things mean? Nonspecific 5 MM white matter lesion seen in the right frontal white matter. A demyelinating plaque and gliosis are in the differential. There is redemonstration of two small focal bright spots on the T2 and FLAIR images adjacent to the right corpus callosum just above the right lateral ventricle and adjacent to the atrium of the left laterial ventricle. A linear area of enhancement is seen in the right side of the cerebellum suggesting a small vessel.

Would someone PLEASE tell me what this means? Is this MS or not MS? What is "A demyelinating plaque and gliosis", "two small focal bright spots on the T2 and FLAIR images", and linear enhancement is seen in the right side of the cerebellum suggesting a small vessel" ?
I would really appreciate straight, brutally honest opinions and/or definitions.

[sllowe]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forum. The report mentions non-specific and then mentions those potentials in the differential. Since MS is a clinical diagnosis - this imaging by no means says you have MS. Hope this brings you some relief.  That's about as straight forward as I can be.

Don't be alarmed by the report - the doctor will correlate these findings along with a thorough exam, and possibly order other tests to help identify what is going on.

Thanks for joining us,
-Shell

[simpleopinion3]

Thanks again Bob.

[COBOB]

MS can not really be diagnosed from an MRI.  It really depends on the physical exam and the history, plus the MRI and the tests to exclude the mimics.  Depending on those results, the MRI might help support a diagnosis.

Bob

[simpleopinion3]

Bob,

Thank you so much for your response.
This has been very helpful to me. In your opinion, would you consider this positive for MS?

Thanks,
simpleopnion3

[COBOB]

Nonspecific 5 MM white matter lesion seen in the right frontal white matter.
- Since the sequence is not called out, I'd assume that this is a T2 hyperintensity in the right frontal lobe.  This is not considered one of the "classic" locations that neuros seem to look for MS lesions (periventricular lesions.)

A demyelinating plaque and gliosis are in the differential.
- a demyelinating plaque is what you would see in MS.  Gliosis is scar tissue (astrocytes) in the brain.

There is redemonstration of two small focal bright spots on the T2 and FLAIR images adjacent to the right corpus callosum just above the right lateral ventricle and adjacent to the atrium of the left laterial ventricle.
- this is two T2 hyperintensities in one of the "prime areas" of the brain for MS lesions to show up.

A linear area of enhancement is seen in the right side of the cerebellum suggesting a small vessel.
-I'm guessing that they are seeing a line that sometimes appears when a slice passes through a blood vessel.  Not really a lesion or a true hyperintensity, but a vascular artifact.

Bob