Hello
Around the first day of covid lockdown I noticed I lost my taste, this went on a few times and I subsequently noticed my face was numb at the same time. This has happened around 5 or 6 times during lockdown and at one point I got a Covid Test. As it kept happening I phoned my doctors. My husband also kept commenting on my short term memory and stating we had previously had a conversation that I could not recall. Doctor was very proactive and I got an MRI within two weeks.
Results came back and states “Nodular hyperintensity are evident in frontoparietal white matter”. Its also says findings are not entirely convincing for demyelination"
Doctor rang and said good news you don’t have MS but the Neurology department do want to see you. I suppose I am wondering if anyone else has had this and it then was a precursor for the beginning of MS? I am currently waiting for my appointment but realise due to the backlog of COVID this may now take a while. I have noticed the numbness has spread into the front of my chest.
Any comments or advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks
Hello
It doesn’t seem too likely that MS is suspected. The comment: ‘not entirely convincing for demyelination’ doesn’t seem that there’s anything MS related to worry about; MS lesions are demyelinating by their nature.
As far as I know, oddities on MRI dont show up like this as a ‘precursor’ to MS. It’s like pregnancy, you either have it or you don’t, there’s no in between stage!
There are other diagnoses that might look a bit like MS; seeing a neurologist, even just on a video call (as many are being done like this initially at the present time), might put your mind to rest. Or it could be that other tests are asked for, another MRI, maybe of the cervical spine as well as the brain, visual evoked potentials, or nerve conduction studies could be done.
I do hope you get some answers soon. It does tend to weigh very heavily on your mind when there are strange things happening in your body.
Sue
Thank you very much for your reply. I will await the appointment and I think your right when I speak to them I’m sure my mind will be put to rest.
Seems a very inadequate way to report not entirely convincing that means they are somewhat convinced!? and if they are somewhat convinced why would your doctor say good news you do not have MS he would say good news they are not sure. Will be very interesting to see what your follow-up tells you and I would definitely ask about the wording sometimes they do not know that you have been able to read the report. You have every right to question this finding and result. If I said I am not entirely convinced that you have the stomach flu when you were vomiting it does not mean that you don’t have the stomach flu, it only means that I’m not completely convinced, I am only partially convinced based on your symptoms and the tests findings. Clarification of that finding is definitely in order. it may be because of the location of the hyperdensity. On any MRI finding it’s not like one day they just suddenly appear so these could be early changes of some sort of illness whether it be Ms or some other illness but I don’t think it is all that black and white from day one of the day that you get symptoms. I agree once you speak with them you should be able to put your mind at ease one way or the other, for now the finding raises more questions than answers answers. Wish you the best and answers to ALL of your questions. Also I’m not sure if you’re 80 but one thing that does come to mind with the twitching of your thumb is Parkinson’s. Michael j fox said he woke up one morning with his pinky twitching and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s shortly thereafter. Good news on that is all of the new treatments are so effective now especially when given early. Wishing you the best!!
Thank you for your response.
For me that statement of not entirely convincing did make me wonder, however I am not clued up enough with medical jargon and what is actually meant by that statement. Think the wait for the Nuero will be a while due to the Covid backlog so just taking things as they come and noting any more symptoms. Be good to finally speak to them to see what their thoughts actually are.