Please help me if you can…
My GP is concerned that i have MS and sent me to have an MRI, today i recieved my results via letter and i do not understand the jargon in it at all and will not be seeing my doctor for another couple of weeks. The letter reads as follows, if anyone can shine some light on what it all means i would be very grateful…many thanks in advance…
Mri showed minor and non specific T2 and flair high zignal foci in the periventricular deep white matter of the temporal occipital lobes bilaterally. At the C6/7 level, there is some loss of disc hydration and height, which is associated with a diffuse disc bulge…
Please, please help me, i am at my wits end. I also suffer with Fibromyalgia and the stress is making me flare bigtime and is resulting in dibilitating pain and fatigue.
Thanks again in advance for any help you can give me
Claire
Hi Claire,
Basically, they are saying they detected some “minor” brain abnormalities. “Non specific” means they’re not typical of any particular disease or condition - they have definitely NOT said they’re suggestive of MS, or anything like that. “Minor and non specific” usually means they are not attaching clinical significance to it as the cause of your symptoms - lots of people have “minor” brain abnormalities, for all sorts of reasons - I believe even migraine, sometimes.
More interesting is they are talking about a “bulging disc” at C6/7, which is in the neck part of your spinal column. This could be what lay people more commonly refer to as a “slipped disc”. (A slipped disc is nothing at all to do with MS)
If the “slipped” (bulging) disc was pressing on your spinal cord, it could cause problems anywhere below that point, because signals to and from your brain and the rest of your body would have trouble getting past the “bulge”.
Absolutely nothing in the letter is suggestive that you have MS, although I’m assuming you will have a follow-up appointment to explain in more detail, and perhaps to discuss whether the bulging disc is sufficiently serious to consider surgery.
Hope this helps,
Tina
It basically says that a type of scan called T2 showed that you have some small white spots in the white matter of the side and back of the middle part of both sides of your brain. The common term for white spots is lesions. The radiologist doesn’t think that your lesions are specific to any particular disease. (For more details and an explanation of white matter, please read my Sticky thread beginner’s guide.) You have a slipped disc in your neck. (C6/7 is the disc lying between the C6 & C7 vertebrae.) The report doesn’t mention if the disc is pressing on the spinal cord or nerves, but if it is, it would cause neurological symptoms. A slipped disc often causes some pain whether or not it presses on anything. There are many causes of lesions including migraine, vitamin deficiencies and MS and it is not uncommon to find them in people having no symptoms at all. So please try not to worry too much. Wait and see what the neurologist says. (I’m assuming it’s a neuro who sent you for the MRI? If it wasn’t, then you should see one - get an expert opinion.) Hth. Karen x
Thank you so very much Karen and Tinafor explaining my results in english. I am waiting for the follow up appointment from my neurologist; however this maynot be for weeks!!!
You both have been very very helpful and i really appreciate your help.
Many thanks again
Claire
Hi Claire
If the disc at C6/7 is bulging significantly it might explain a lot of your symptoms and pain. You’ll have to see the neuro to find that out, but if it is the case then the good news is that they can fix it. I had a disc replacement at C5/6 with decompression of my spinal cord recently and it was done with just overnight admission and only a scar in the crease at the side of my neck. If it turns out to be operable and you have any questions I’ll be happy to answer them honestly as someone who had it done.
Min x