Hi! Does anyone here have lesions in the cervical spine, but not in the brain? I have lesions in the cervical part of my spine but nowhere else at the moment. Does this suggest a milder course of MS? I’ve read conflicting things about it. Thanks x
I don’t know how common it is to only have lesions in the cervical spine, but I’m pretty sure it happens. My first scans (way back in Jan 1998) showed only a lesion in my thoracic spine. I’ve always thought that spinal lesions were worse than brain lesions because they are harder to re-route around, but I guess it depends on where they are, how big they are, what the symptoms are, etc. We are all so different, it would be hard to know for sure. It’s generally accepted that there is a pretty poor relationship about the amount of lesions and how bad someone’s MS is. The location of a lesion is more important - and that shows up in what symptoms the patient has. If your symptoms are quite mild, then your lesions are probably in a place that isn’t so important. And if you’ve got mild symptoms and relatively few lesions, then I think the prognosis would be fairly positive. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing is guaranteed with MS except the fact that it is unpredictable! Hth! Karen x
Hi, scuse my ignorance, but is cervical spine the bit of spine in the neck? If so, then my last visit to my neuro showed 3 blobs on this area. I read about LHermittes and it said that lesions in the neck caused the electric shock feeling, when lowering your chin to chest. Explains it for me. luv Pollx
hi there i have only one lesion on my spine and have a dx of transverse myelitis…it does cause me a lot of leg and back…dont know if you get similar pain but hope this helps…barry
Hi Stacey
You’re probably have a bit more info now than when you posted, but I have only lesions in the spine too. 6 years ago in the middle area of the back and this year found a bit lower down with the original area clear. I’ve had my brain checked etc and nothing was found there (no pun intended!). The neuro was very pleased with the all-clear in the head and so having lesions in the spine only should be considered as being good.
It could be transverse myelitis as suggested by baz, which is what I thought I had for a good long while.
If it does turn out to be MS I think it does mean that it could be milder or slower developing form, but as Karen says, there are no certainties with the disease so best to be positive and get on and enjoy as much as you can.
In the last few weeks since I’ve been reading this forum, I am just totally amazed by the number of new cases of MS and other similar illnesses - remarkable.
Very best wishes,
Mr S
Thanks for the advice everyone - Barry, I think that when my Neuro was talking about my symptoms/diagnosis, he said that I had had an episode of Transverse Myelitis (amongst other things) and that this was a relapse in my MS. Can an episode of TM be an MS relapse? Or is TM a different thing entirely?
hi i am lead to believe that a dx of TM could also be the first symptoms of MS as in a letter from my neuro to doctor says that i am aware of the possibility of MS but as i only had one lesion and not multiple then he wont dx MS.I am 13months since symptoms started and i’m still on pregabalin,amitriptyline,baclofen and tramadol so who knows what’s next.Hope all that made sense…barry
Hi Stacey
From my research TM and MS are totally separate (each have different physical effects on nerves), though at a certain stage they can result in similar symptoms. I was never sure which one seemed to be worse.
Hopefully you have just a one off post viral case of TM that never happens again.
Fingers crossed, Mr S
hi again…the last reply through me a bit so i went back onto the myelitis web site and it def says TM can be the presenting feature of MS.As it said in my letter from neuro to doctor that i was aware of the possibility of MS but at the moment a dx TM was given.I have spent hours and hours reading about both illnesses and if another symptom or relapse occurs and lesions shown on different areas then dx would be changed from TM to MS…The web address is myelitis.org…hth barry
I have been diagnosed with TM it can be the first episode of ms if subsequent episodes show brain lesions. If you have spinal legions and lesions on the optic nerve this would be classed as neuro myelitis optica. It’s very confusing. However I have symptoms that could only be caused by damage to the 10th cranial nerve but because no lesions show on brain scan I can’t be diagnosed as having MS not that I want ms , tm is enough to deal with but if I did have ms but the lesions just aren’t showing up it could mean I’m missing out on DMD. I find it all confusing.
Hi Guys Has anyone experienced a warm burning sensation in neck then sharp electric pain in back of head shooting down arms I believe this is lhermitte sign and I am wondering does it mean cervical lesions?Going through diagnosis and very worried my symptoms mainly effecting feet and hands.Did anybody have cervical lesions on diagnosis and does that mean less mobility?Thanks very much appreciate any input?