Hello - pretty new here & still looking for advice. Wondering if anyone with a bit if knowledge could maybe help interpret my mri results a bit better. Was sent for an mri because of something that started to happen in one arm. Results say “Solitary left frontal periventricular white matter hyperintensity noted. A couple of other tiny subcortical white matter hyperintensities are also noted.” Then at the bottom, Impression: Several non-specific white matter hyperintensities noted in the supratentorial region. With everything else seeming to read as okay. Have received a referral to a neurologist following these results with an appointment for 4 weeks time and GP has said only they can explain the mri results to me properly. Had not previously ever been referred to a neurologist- the scan happened after attending a&e. Although a neurologist did see me there and examined me before making a referral for the mri. I got bloods done & was sent home & had to go back 10 days later for the scan. Now this referral has been made after the results of the scan. I’m a bit scared and struggling with this whole wait 4 weeks to find out what they mean thing. I’ve drawn my own link to ms based on what the neurologist at a&e said although they didn’t actually say “MS”. And I’ve never thought I had it or ever even thought about it. Certainly wasn’t thinking about it when I went to a&e about my arm although I was concerned about a stroke as have a strong family history. Any help/advice at all about the mri results I mentioned above would be great and really appreciated - although understand probably not possible. Thanks
Hello
You are right. We can’t interpret your scans any more than your GP can (probably slightly less!).
But what we can do is empathise, you’re worried that your scans plus symptoms, and/or history may add up to MS. We do get that, it’s a horrible time, to be waiting for an appointment with the neurologist who basically will maybe be able to give you some unwelcome news. Or what might be even worse, not being able to explain anything. So leaving you in limbo.
What I would say is that there are lots of diagnoses that present in similar ways to MS, but are not MS. So although this may not make the next few weeks any easier, the fact is that it’s at least as likely to not be MS.
And what will be will be. Your world will not have shifted on its axis overnight if you get the news you’re dreading. There are disease modifying drugs to help ward off relapses if you’re given a diagnosis of MS.
Hopefully you’ll be able to live with the wait and try to put the fear out of your head.
Sue