Please can anyone who has been diagnosed or even not with ms, tell me how many foci your MRI
report says you have?
guzlover
In my case they don’t usually count them, the reports just say ‘multiple’.
I understand that the number of lesions does not necessarily correlate with the severity of symptoms, so try not to worry too much about numbers.
Ben
Thanks for replying Ben.
New to this - had an MRI 3 weeks ago. My GP told me she had looked at the report and “there is demyelination in areas of your brain”. She then said I’m referring you to neurology straight away. Followed by asking did I have any thoughts on what might be wrong with me. I explained that I was aware my symptoms were in line with MS ( tingling in hands and feet, dizziness, poor balance and some eyesight issues too ) she nodded and said it’s looking like it could be. Thoughts anyone?
My sister in law had an MRI 24-48 hours after the first onset of symptoms and she had 19 lesions. They’re not sure how long she had MS without symptoms (or severe enough for her to require doctor or hospital)
guess MS is so unpredicatble and really varies from person to person.
My MrI is clear but my symptoms are the same as my sister in laws symptoms.
I’m the same. My First MRI showed numerous lesions throughout the brain, including Dawson’s fingers, a lesion on the brain stem and lesions on every section on the c-spine save c4 and two on the t-spine (enhanced with contrast and the cause of the numb toes which lead to diagnosis). I spent a lot of time trying to work out what this meant for my prognosis - but my neuro said the two don’t necessarily go hand in hand - and just because a house has a Mercedes parked out front doesn’t mean the people inside are rich (he likes his analogies).
For me, the extent of silent damage I’d accrued was a reason for jumping numb feet first into lemtrada - to preserve as much neural reserve as possible.
As for clinical symptoms, at the moment I have line. Not even in the heat - and I am grateful for that. My numb toes went pretty quickly with steroids and that is the only relapse I’ve been aware of.
k
So if I have confirmed demyelination and the symptoms I have, then the chances are this is MS?
Every neurologist and GP seem to have different Ideas and diagnosis’s. Such a hard illness to diagnose, making it a nightmare for all of us 
Hi Gypsybelle
It is impossible for anyone on this board, or your GP, to say. As hard as it is not to leap ahead when you are going through a diagnosis process, MS can only be diagnosed by a neurologist. The Neuro will need to do two things (i) confirm that you meet the McDonald MS diagnosis criteria (dissemination of demylinating activity in space and time (i.e. evidence of lesions in multiple parts of your central nervous system which occurred as the result of at least two separate attacks - can be shown by clinical evidence (symptoms) or MRI evidence ) and (ii) eliminate any other possible causes for activity shown on your MRI/symptoms (unfortunately MS has a number of mimics (including things like a vitamin B12 deficiency which can be easily fixed) and so a series of blood tests and other tests (e.g. lumber puncture / evoked potentials / reflex tests etc) will be needed to confirm a diagnosis).
K
Thank you Katy79
I have already had the B12 blood tests. That came back fine. My GP read my report and said I had demyelination in different areas of my brain. I have experiened 4 bouts of strange episodes in the last 3 years but I actually had my first “weird” experience where I went blind for 3 days some 18 years ago. When I look back there have been so many incidences that I just thought were usual illnesses, or old age and tiredness. This last episode started in March and I haven’t really been 100% since.
My GP has asked for Neurology to see me as they cancelled my last appointment before the MRI report was done.
Im hoping that will be soon and I can have a clearer idea of what’s really going on.
Thank you again for the advice.
GB x