Hi,
Just got my brain scan report as neuro had requested scan to question possibility of ms or functional.
The report says there are multiple spots in the peri and supraventricular white matter in the parietal and occipial as well as the left lobe.The radiologist has put that they are difficult to characterise but could be due to infarctions of demyelination.
Not sure what it all means but if it was MS would the spots be easily identified. Waiting to see neuro.
Thanks Christine
Hi Christine,
Sorry, I can’t answer your question. In my opinion, they should not send out this guff, as it means nothing until it’s interpreted for you by a neuro - which is the purpose of the follow-up appointment.
I was under the impression MS lesions were pretty distinctive - at least to someone experienced in what they’re looking for. But the radiographer seems unconvinced about yours, which may mean it’s just one possibility.
MS is the commonest cause of demyelination, but the report doesn’t even say for sure that you have demyelination. You’ll have to wait for the neuro’s reaction, I’m afraid.
Even if he thinks it is demyelination, it doesn’t mean you will proceed immediately to a diagnosis of MS. The diagnostic criteria for MS require proof that it’s an ongoing or recurring issue over time. It’s not usually possible to confirm this from a single scan, because all that provides is a snapshot in time - they can’t tell if all the spots/lesions/whatever got there at the same time, or if it’s been slowly, over months or years.
Usually, the only way to find out if it’s an ongoing thing is (a) wait for new symptoms, or (b) scan again in a number of months to see if anything has changed.
Otherwise, all you know is something happened sometime, but you can’t prove it’s ongoing, which is part of the definition of MS.
Tina
Thanks for your reply…the report is so vague and leaves me with more questions than answers.
Thanks
That’s why they should not really send them out - they’re not designed for patient consumption.
On the other hand, it’s clear abnormalities have been seen, which makes it unlikely your problems are “functional”. Might not be sufficient to conclude it’s MS, though.
Tina
Thanks Tina…i know very little about functional…im guessing its having ms like symptoms. This came as a huge surprise to me as iv been having lots of tests for many different symptoms and the endo never mentioned ms yet he put it on the scan referral. I had a brain scan about 4 years ago because i had gone deaf, the scan did not show anything more than a cyst. I know i will have to wait until i see my neuro and try and forget about it all until then.
Thanks Christine