# Sorry... another question.

**URL:** <https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/t/sorry-another-question/23054>\
**Category:** New diagnosis and before diagnosis\
**Created:** [9 July 2013 17:56 UTC](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/t/sorry-another-question/23054 "2013-07-09T17:56:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Inactive\_User](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3e96dc/32.png) [@Inactive\_User](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/u/Inactive_User)\
**Post date:** [9 July 2013 17:56 UTC](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/t/sorry-another-question/23054/1 "2013-07-09T17:56:12Z")

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I just read a post which has confused me. someone with symptoms which fit MS (and I realise many other possible disorders) had MRIs which showed 7 lesions but has been told by neuro it’s not MS. How can they be sure?? I thought lesions were a reliable marker for MS diagnosis? xx

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**Author:** ![Inactive\_User](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3e96dc/32.png) [@Inactive\_User](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/u/Inactive_User)\
**Post date:** [9 July 2013 18:00 UTC](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/t/sorry-another-question/23054/2 "2013-07-09T18:00:34Z")

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I had same issue lesions but they were not typical appereance of what you would expect with ms

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**Author:** ![Inactive\_User](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3e96dc/32.png) [@Inactive\_User](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/u/Inactive_User)\
**Post date:** [9 July 2013 18:18 UTC](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/t/sorry-another-question/23054/3 "2013-07-09T18:18:03Z")

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Brain lesions can be caused by numerous things, ms is one of them but they can also be migraine related or age spots etc - the lesions are differential by where they are in the brain, the size, the shape etc

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**Author:** ![Anitra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Anitra](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/u/Anitra)\
**Post date:** [9 July 2013 18:36 UTC](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/t/sorry-another-question/23054/4 "2013-07-09T18:36:44Z")

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In addition to what Karina has said, MS cannot be diagnosed unless it’s provable the lesions didn’t all occur at the same time. The technical term is that lesions have to be disseminated (that is, separated) in space and time. If multiple lesions all got there at once, they may well satisfy the “space” bit (i.e. affect different physical areas of the CNS), but not the “time” bit, which requires them to have arisen at different times. A single demyelinating attack **might** be the first indication of MS, but might also have been triggered by a virus or something, and never happen again!

Tina

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**Author:** ![Inactive\_User](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3e96dc/32.png) [@Inactive\_User](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/u/Inactive_User)\
**Post date:** [9 July 2013 19:08 UTC](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/t/sorry-another-question/23054/5 "2013-07-09T19:08:29Z")

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Ok, that all makes sense. Thank you both for your replies 🙂 xx

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**Author:** ![Inactive\_User](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3e96dc/32.png) [@Inactive\_User](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/u/Inactive_User)\
**Post date:** [9 July 2013 19:10 UTC](https://forum.mssociety.org.uk/t/sorry-another-question/23054/6 "2013-07-09T19:10:19Z")

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Apologies if this duplicates. That all makes sense, thank you both for your replies xx