Can some one help me read this?

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

Hello, this is my first time posting…I’m now on year three in my diagnostic journey, and I’m waiting to go to a follow up for my MRI. I got the radiologists report but I’m having a hard time understanding.

EXAMINATION:
BRAIN MRI WITHOUT IV CONTRAST

TECHNIQUE:
Multiplanar and multisequence MRI of brain performed without intravenous administration of gadolinium.

Sequences obtained include -
Axial: FLAIR, DWI with ADC mapping, T1 and GRE/susceptibility images.
Sagittal: T1
Postgadolinium sequences:T2 with fat suppression in axial plane, T1 in axial and coronal plane and FLAIR sagittal

COMPARISON:
Prior available studies including brain MRI dated 02/03/2018.

CLINICAL INFORMATION:
MS, evaluate interval changes,

FINDINGS:
There is no extra-axial collection.

The ventricular system is within normal limits.

A few, tiny periventricular T2/FLAIR hyperintensities are again faintly suggested. There is no corresponding low T1 signal. Gray white matter differentiation is otherwise preserved. There are no territorial infarcts, acute hemorrhages or large masses.
There are no diffusion restrictions to suggest acute infarcts.

Normal flow voids of large intracranial arteries are preserved.

Visualized parts of the orbits and skull base are unremarkable.

The craniocervical junction is normal.

Essentially unremarkable noncontrast brain MRI.

Icometrix Data:

QC remarks: Satisfactory reconstruction and volume calculation measurements were obtained. Caution should be exercised while interpreting these results as individual variability and anatomic changes may affect the results.

MS disease FLAIR burden by volume:
Periventricular: 0.02 ml.
Juxtacortical: 0.00 ml.
Infratentorial: 0.00 ml.
Deep white matter: 0.00 ml.
Total volume: 0.02 ml.

T1 hypointensities volume: 0.00 ml.

Whole brain volume: 1591 ml, normative percentile 30.6. Normal range normalized for head size 1490-1710 ml with normalization factor 0.89.

Gray matter volume: 1964 ml., normative percentile 65.8. Normal range normalized for head size 872-1042 ml with normalization factor 0.89.

Thank you, any hell is apreciated. To me it feels like they don’t have much but my symptoms are kicking my ass. Thanks again!

2

This is a really technical report - did you have a letter accompanying it where your specialist tends to put it in more straightforward language. Usually they write to your GP and copy you in, the technical report (which is what this probably is) tends to go straight to the GP. Maybe you should get back to the MRI department and see if there was an accompanying letter. There is a good description on this forum in the sticky notes somewhere at the top of the site that explains the terminology used really well, also a Google search of the terms used can be helpful. Good luck

3

Thank you very much, the support here is amazing. Im undiagnosed and missing so much work and time with my wife and three year old. They think it’s MS but are having a hard time with the tests. I just don’t want to feel crazy anymore essentially. So my doing my own detective work I feel as if I have a small portion of control. Thank you again for your reply!

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Hello

As Juniper says, this is pretty impenetrable for non specialists like us lot. We simply don’t have the knowledge to read or interpret a report of this nature.

If you’re now in year three of your ‘diagnostic journey’, does that mean you’ve had clear MRIs in the past? I can see you had one in March of last year, so I imagine that was clear (else you’d perhaps have been diagnosed then).

The only thing that strikes me is that at one point the radiologist has said ‘Essentially unremarkable noncontrast brain MRI.’ This sounds to me like the MRI is clear. But you do need to get the report put into everyday language by a specialist rather than a bunch of amateurs on this forum.

Sue

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Oh dear why do they do this send a layman a report. Its ridiculous. What is the point unless you actually paid for the MRI. I hate to say it and i am not an expert but reading yours i would say with all the 0.00 in there its pretty unremarkable. However, i have no real idea. They should never send people these reports it just causes anxiety and confusion. I think you will have to wait until you see your neurologist to be honest. Good luck.

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Hello! Thanks for the feed back. I was at my appointment yesterday and my Nero told me my tests were clear like usual. He felt bad and was stumped, so when I felt the most helpless he runs off and pulls in the head neurologist and he finds three things in my work up. And that prompted a clinical medicine trial. If I react well then they know what they are up against.

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