No active inflammation??

Everyday living
1

Had a scan done receitntly, received a letter to say ‘it is reassuring to know that there is no active inflammation of the brain’ does that mean no MS?

thanks

2

Hi Anon,

Sadly, no. It’s not clear from your post whether you are a diagnosed person, or still undergoing investigation.

It just means that if you DID have MS (not clear from your post), it’s not “active” at the moment.

The majority of people diagnosed with MS - about 85% - have relapsing remitting type, which means they go through periods of flare-up, followed by periods of relative dormancy.

“No active inflammation” would mean there’s no flare-up at the moment, but wouldn’t necessarily mean no MS. It depends whether there’s evidence there has ever been any inflammation - not just whether it’s active at the moment.

Tina

3

Thanks for tat Tina.

I was dx in 2007, albeit a very wooly dx!..i’ve gone from benign,to RR, secondary and sensory! they seem totally unsure. SO when i receive the letter today, i thought, great no MS! just wish they would be clear and def.

I have always had a nagging doubt in my mind that it isnt MS, that it is something else (hopefully treatable)

Thank you again for taking the time to respond.

Hope you are as well as you can be,

Love cxx

4

Hi Elkie,

Nice to put a name to you, this time!

“Benign” and “sensory” aren’t really proper diagnoses - at least, “sensory” isn’t, and “benign” can only be diagnosed retrospectively, after (I think) ten or more trouble-free years, so it’s very unlikely it could be confirmed from the outset as “benign”, unless there was some evidence you’d already had it for years, prior to diagnosis, but nothing serious had happened.

It’s quite feasible that you’ve gone from RR to secondary, though, as a majority of those diagnosed with RR do eventually, but usually only after some years.

It’s a shame “no active inflammation” doesn’t mean the MS has gone. If it did, you’d be a medical miracle, or, more likely, a case of mistaken diagnosis.

However, on the positive side, it does mean it’s behaving itself pretty well at the moment, which is the best any diagnosed person can hope for.

Thanks for your good wishes. Doing pretty well at the moment, apart from painful feet, which are getting me down a bit. But, like yours, I think the MS is mostly behaving itself. Touch wood, I don’t FEEL as if it’s currently very active. Just gently simmering - same as usual.

Tina

x