My husband was referred for an MRI after an episode of double vision; the first line of testing with the ophthalmology group had come up normal, so this was the next step. We now have a copy of the report; short summary: “distribution of lesions within the cerebral hemispheres and posterior fossa is most suggestive of multifocal demyelination. There is one small active enhancing lesion in the left frontal lobe. In total, there are approximately 22 lesions present.”
He’s been referred to the local MS Clinic, but we don’t know how long a wait it will be. We’re worried, as I’m sure everyone on this forum can relate to. Is 22 a high number of lesions? Can they heal? Is “multifocal” a common term used with MS?
Thank you in advance for any responses 
I dont really know much about number of lesions etc but it does seem a bit strange you have all that detail yet no one has discussed what it all means. Could you make an appt with your gp to discuss or can you go back to the hospital? It must be very hard having that info and the fact he has been referred to a ms clinic without having been told all the facts.
Hi Mgibson
I feel for you and your hubby , i only recently found out that they had found leisions way back in 2009 and didnt tell me about it they just put it on my records then after going blind in 2013 they found a big 1 not sure what area but it was conclusive of ON to this day 14yrs on the only person that has said now you have MS is my MS Nurse who i saw last month neither my Drs or Neuro has given me a DX until i got a letter saying ive been refered to an MS Nurse as its looking to be MS all these years , for me it didnt change anything as everything wwas the same as it has been just a different name each time , i hope you get some answers soon and help comes your way as for the amount i couldnt tell you whats high or low but i am sure on this great site someone somewhere will know
all the best
sheep
Hello mgibson I have multiple brain lesions. How bad the lesions can affect the sufferer depends on which part of the brain the lesions are. People with only a couple of lesions, can be quite disabled. Having many lesions, doesn’t necessarily mean, serious disability. It’s best to wait for the follow up review in clinic. Take care x
Karen otherwise known as Rizzo compiled a very good guide to the brain and mri scans. See the top of the page under stickies. It certainly helped me understand it better. I agree with Blossom - try and wait for the follow up appointment where, hopefully, it will all be explained to you.
I am sorry that you and your husband have all this worry on your shoulders.
If I were your husband, I would be arranging for an appoinment with my GP, specifically to interpret the MRI report, and I would think about taking my other half with me to the appointment, on the basis that it is always good to have a second pair of ears when listening to things that are way outside one’s area of expertise. Although GPs are generalists, his GP should most certainly be able to translate that into plain English in the context of your husband’s circumstances, and give his/her view on where you go from here.
Good luck to you both.
Alison
Thank you all so much He spoke with his Opthamologist first, who said the referral was to rule out MS; he then got the report I cited from his GP, who said if he was being referred to the clinic it’s because it’s highly likely he does have MS. I’m going to go with him when he has his MS consult, for support and to be an extra set of ears & questions.
Just wanted to update everyone We had the appointment with the clinic last week, and my husband was diagnosed with RRMS. Our experience may differ from others as we’re living in Canada (my hubby is British, I’m Canadian). The neurologist said that it’s mild, reviewed the MRI images with us, explained about treatment options and ordered another MRI. We then met with a social worker, who answered our questions about privacy/disclosure, and obtained the forms the ministry will need filled out to keep his driver’s licence valid. We lastly met with the nurse, who went over the medications in more detail, and sent us home with a large package of material to read through. It was an incredibly supportive atmosphere, and everyone was kind and positive I was surprised that the nurse and social worker gave us their direct phone numbers, and impressed that they have dedicated therapists (speech, physical, dieticians) at the clinic. It seems to be very much a “team” approach. He’s decided upon Copaxone, and just needs to call the nurse this week to let her know. Thank you all again for being a cyber-shoulder when I needed one
Hello Good to hear the ms is mild and your husband is being well supported. All the best to you both. Noreen xx