MRI Explanation

[scharm]

I have experienced intense tingling and numbness all over body, cold burning in thighs, vertigo, hard to remember things, ringing in ears, left eye blurred at times and double vision that comes and goes.  MRI shows hyperintensive lesions in left optical and bilat frontal lobe white matter.  What does the MRI mean?

[scharm]

Hello,
Thank you for your response.  I have suspected that it may be MS, for quite some time.  My father had his first attack in 1978 and my baby sister was diagnosed in 1987.  My father did not have any permanent damage from subsequent attacks until 2000.  In 2000 they finally had concrete evidence by performing the LP.  My sister has had many attacks over the last 20+ years, with lesions increasing in the brain.  Both are now taking either Avonox (sp) or another type of med by injection.

I did have a follow up visit regarding the MRI with a not so nice doctor from a known MS clinic, who told me that the MRI and my symptoms were from HBP.  I totally disagree with this doctor.  And he told me that I would never have to come back to his clinic.  (Mind you my sister visited him early on in her disease, and he told her the same thing).  After that, I visited my PCP who said to me that all we can do at this point is treat the symptoms, as I am not in harms way.  Which I agree with.  She never really came out and said "you have MS".  All I wanted was an explanation of these weird things that have been going on, and getting worse over time.

Today, the symptoms stated in previous post are present 24x7.  The symptoms worsen and then get better but are not totally gone.  I suspect I may be entering another attack, so I will follow up with my PCP.

Thank you for your explanation.  

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. These are plausible signs of multiple sclerosis and this needs a detailed examination by a neurologist and other causes of similar overlapping symptoms. The hyper intense lesions in the white matter are areas of demyelination which are peculiar to multiple sclerosis, cerebrospinal fluid also needs to be tested for cells, proteins and oligoclonal bands and electro physiological studies. These along with clinical signs and MRI quite likely point towards multiple sclerosis. Take care.