I had an MRI a couple of weeks a go, and my follow up with the neurologist is next week, but I’ve received a letter today summarising the MRI report. I thought it would be good to get the report in advance of my appointment to save the long wait but I’m just confused by it really. The neurologist’s summary is that the MRI was normal and showed nothing to explain my symptoms, so that’s good if it means it’s not MS, but I’d still like to know what is causing my symptoms, and I’m hoping the neurologist will explain a bit more about the findings next week other than just say it’s all fine.
This is the wording he included from the radiologist’s report, so does anyone have any suggestions of questions they think I should be asking next week?
“There are a couple of small foci of white matter signal abnormalities shown involving the cerebral hemispheres bilaterally. These are within normal limits for patient’s age. Subtle area of white matter signal abnormality shown abutting the right frontal horn. This is non-specific and not pathognomonic for demyelination. There appears to be a right choroidal fissure cyst. No other intracranial abnormality is demonstrated. In particular, there is no evidence of intracranial space-occupying lesion or Chriari malformation. A small mucous retention cyst is shown within the right maxillary sinus.”
“There are a couple of small foci of white matter signal abnormalities shown involving the cerebral hemispheres bilaterally. These are within normal limits for patient’s age.”
This comes up quite regularly. As we age our brain does gradually degenerate (rather like us developing wrinkles and skin blotches etc), and yours are within the normal limits for your age. These intensities are often a marker of small-vessel vascular disease, and often caused by smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes etc. So if your lifestyle is not as healthy as it could be, that is something that can be readily addressed, to try to get to / keep you as close to the good end of the normal limits. It is a useful thing to know, and a reminder that we have to look after our health.
Good that there is no sign of demyelination and that they can rule out MS. But it may leave you with no answers, which is a hard place to be. I hope you get something useful out of the follow-up appointment and that they don’t just wave you goodbye. If they do, then I guess it is back to the GP.
Hi Yes I too was concerned when I received a similar report, which mentioned the same. I was told by my Neurologist that most people are walking around with changes such as this and because they haven’t had the need for an MRI are oblivious to this. I was told that most people will at least have small changes (white dots on MRI) every 10 years as they age. If the Neurologist suspected anything they would normally want you to have several MRI’s during the year to look for new changes. HTH