There are a few subcortical white matter high T2 and FLAIR foci with no enhancement which are nonspecific. No additional supra or infratentorial enhancing lesions.
Normal c-spine vertebral alignment and disc appearances with no neural compromise or intramedullary lesions in the imaged spinal cord.
Conclusions:
Normal study apart from a few a few non-specific supratentorial white matter lesions of uncertain clinical significance
My latest MRI without contrast just brain said:
Comparison is made with previous MRI dated 20/12/2011.
The small but nonspecific foci of signal abnormality of the cerebral white matter are again noted. There are no new lesions and no lesions with abnormal diffusivity or susceptibility.
I guess no change is good news but I’m still a bit unsure as they didn’t use contrast for my second MRI. How can they look for active/new lesions?
Follow-up review now in Oct with neuro so just feel like I’m hanging in limbo till then and still have symptoms. It’s so frustrating - do I push and see if he’ll do an LP sit and wait it out with no help with my symptoms. Getting my eye looked at today so will see what the ophthalmologist says about that.
First point I’m actually feeling quite down about the whole thing. It’s not that I want to have MS - I guess I just want some answers like everybody else.
Hi Reemz, I’m not technical enough to know what the reports mean… but obviously there are lesions showing. I was dx after a few ‘bright spots’ and a positive LP (along with symptoms of course).
Yes, I would think an LP would be your next step.
Of course you don’t want MS, but when suffering with symptoms and not knowing what’s going on, a dx can actually be something you do want. It’s always hard to explain that to people without MS symptoms, but it is awful being so unwell with no reason why. It’s natural to want some answers.
In terms of the contrast, I don’t know why they decide not to do it. The last MRI I had (a couple of years after dx) was meant to be with contrast, but after putting me in the scanner for a while the radiographer decided not to use contrast. Nobody has ever explained why this was.
If the opthalmologist finds anything abnormal, make sure your neuro is informed.
thank you so much - yes it is so frustrating have symptoms and not knowing why they’re happening. My ophthalmologist found nothing obvious wrong apart from my glasses prescription needs updating it’s very slightly different, so I guess my pain could be TN or it could be work my dentist did 2 weeks ago. The only way it seems to feel comfy at the mo is if I just shut my eye and cover it. I feel like I’m endlessly going to appointments and not getting anywhere quick.
My radiologist said the neuro doctor had specifically requested no contrast so not sure why - I guess something for me to ask at my next visit.Lets see if I can get my neuro to do an LP now - we’re not on the best of terms, he’s the neuro from hell so don’t know how well this is going to go down.
Thank you again Pat. It’s nice just to let out your frustrations with people that understand.
Yes I understand Reemz. You just have to hang in there… and believe me I know how frustrating that is!
If it’s any comfort, lots of us have difficulties with communication with neuros (although some people on here have fab ones). It’s always best to take a short list of your most worrying symptoms and any questions you have. Get straight to the point. They are not always the most understanding people unfortunately and I’ve found being very direct with them works well. They are scientists and like to deal with facts. Keep that in mind and it might go better on next visit.
When you get down, come on here. Lots of people in the same boat or, like me, have been in the same boat.
Yes I agree they do have a scientific approach. I took a list last time of my top four symptoms and kept it short and sweet.
He just didn’t really want to know - worse thing is I work in a hospital so I do understand the time constraints. This guy really was very rude - said well do you want to be catheterised when I mentioned I had bladder problems in an almost threatening manner.
Thanks for trying to cheer me up - this forum really is a god send!
I was just reading your posts and just to let you know, as i am only 18 my neurologist wanted me to have all the tests i could to be 100 percent sure it was MS and it turned out that it was. However i had a Lumbar Puncture as one of these tests. It was incredibly painful until it became numb however the day after i developed the most horrendous headache/migraine which lasted for 10 days, I could not even sit up and made me incredibly sick and gave me diarrhoea, we rang neurology to query this as the doctor who did the lumbar puncture had just said i may get a slight headache which was the biggest understatment of the century! I was bed bound for those 10 days and only managed to recover when someone told me to take caffeine tablets as they ease the headache which did work! Not everybody gets severe headaches but i would just be prepared for them if you work etc because it caught me very off guard! Hope i havent scared you just wanted to inform you as the hospital did not inform me of the severity of it! Since it happened to me reading about it shows these horrendous headache are in fact quite common!
thank you so much for replying. Horrendous headaches, time off work and my symptoms being quite mild was why I didn’t insist for a LP before.
My symptoms don’t seem to have gone and if anything I’m beginning to struggle now so I’m not so put off the idea of an LP if it’s going to help get me some answers. Caffeine tablets is a good idea though!