Newly Diagnosed / MRI Results

[Neita]

First attack was in Dec followed by my 1st MRI....

Far Greater than 10 focci of periventricular and subcortical T2 hyperintensity are present. Some of these lesions show linear radiation from the  ventricular margins; other lesions are identified in the corpus callosum.  While nonspecific, findings would be commensurate with a clinical diagnoses of ms.  The largest supratentorial lesion measures aprox 7mm x 10mm and abuts the posterior body of the right lateral ventricle.  Multiple brainstem lesions are seen, one in the superior periaqueductal grey matter measuring 9mm in diameter.  Many of these lesions show hypointense signal on the T1 weighted sequence.
Normal brain volume  
Numerous T2 hyperintense focci are seen in the supratentorial and infratentorial brain.  

Anyone have similar results?

[sllowe]

Neita - your very welcome. Maybe you'll get lucky and get both! Confirming dx AND well taken care of, definitely wishing that on you!!!!!

-Shell

[Sparkysarah]

Hi and welcome to the forum. There is so much to take on board when you are first diagnosed with MS and I would echo other suggestions to just read and find out for yourself (if you are feeling up to looking at a computer screen) as much as you can about MS.

It will also be a good idea to find out for yourself as much as you can about treatment options and have a think about which DMD you think may suit your best so that you are familiar with the pros and cons of each one. They all do much the same job and there are people on the forum who have experience of all of them and to some extent it is just a personal choice.

Anyhow give yourself time to let the diagnosis sink in. I was dx'd nearly a year ago and think it has actually taken this long to fully understand and accept it. Anyhow feel free to ask questions that come to mind, share your concerns or express what you are feeling - this is a wonderful forum with some amazing folks and it has helped me immensely come to terms with having RRMS.

Best wishes

Sarah

[Neita]

Hi Shell

  Thanks that helps, I just feel crazy half the time.. a second opinion would be nice but really just want to feel more taken care of.  Having my eyes checked will help.


Thanks Again,

[COBOB]

Now it makes more sense.  Sometimes the doctors use a patients history to back track to previous attacks.  So now I can see how he got to a diagnosis.  I  have heard of a few docs that have diagnosed people with only one attack, but technically, that would be CIS.

I've had the paraesthesias for so long, I think I'd miss them if they went way (not really.)  Your Neuro may consider the Hug symptom a new attack, since it is a new symptom.

Bob

[Neita]

Hi Bob,

  The neuro i was seeing thinks I've had 2 attacks ???? and was diagnosed with RRMS.

First attack was December 15th  - my eye lids would not open for about 4 weeks, my right hand arm were numb started feeling strange, dizzy ext...I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis and given pills I never responded to the pills.  had a EEG test done and was negative.

?2nd attack - Jan 17th - eyelids had opened a week before, then I  noticed my left eye was going more to the left. Vision was terrible. loss of balance. no energy.At this point I had MRI done jan 22 & LP (spinal tap)  Feb 3, from which the doctors diagnosed MS

My vision (left eye) improved alot the first week of feb.  since then I've been experiencing some strange sensations/pains.  feels like a band wrapped around my waist with pressure pushing down on left hip.  the newest is pains in my legs and feet. This whole time I've been having periods of extreme fatigue/heavyness

Is this another attack ? or maybe i'm recovering still from previous? or is this normal??

sorry if this doesn't make a lot of sense

Neita





I had a moment of clarity last last week were it felt like a huge could was lifted from my head

[sllowe]

Hi Neita,

Welcome. Is the next appointment for a 2nd opinion? If so, good luck with that.

To answer your question, yes. I've too have had one major attack and have lesions that are not in the same location of yours, but one comparible in size of one you mention. I was dx'd with MS in 07. And, I went to John Hopkins in MD for a 2nd opinion.

You can definitelty see improvement from what you are experiencing right now. It can take months. Mine took about 5. You may not get back to exactly what you were prior to this.

But even some improvement feels like alot when you are knee deep in an attack that takes away functioning between body and mind.

Hope to see you around. Thanks for joining us,
-Shell

[COBOB]

Are you saying you have had only one attack?  And your neurologist diagnosed you with Relapsing Remitting MS?  Primary Progressive MS? or with Clinically Isolated Syndrome?   While the MRI evidence looks like what is seen in MS patients, MS is not (or at least SHOULD NOT be) diagnosed from an MRI.

What was you diagnosis?

Bob

[Neita]

Thanks for the response im having a hard time thinking/typing right now..,  

I'm not on anything yet but have all the info and need to pick one.  I have an appointment on the 29th with another neurologist and ophthalmologist.  Hope to find out more then. The past few months have been a blur.  my brain doesn't feel as foggy as it has but still not normal.(Wondering if I'll always feel this way?)

take care
Neita

[addicted2harleys]

Hi, Neita-

I can't really relate to lesion loads as I have clear MRI's and remain undiagnosed.  

But, I would like to express a warm welcome to our forum, though I am sorry for your MS diagnosis.  You might want to spend some time in our Health Pages, the link is in the top right hand side.  There is so much useful information in there and can be quite beneficial if you don't know very much about MS.  

I also wanted to make sure that you are on your way to getting a DMD?  Disease Modifying Drugs.  It is so very important to get started on these as soon as you can.  Are you getting that started or already on one?

Again, welcome to the forum.  You have landed in a great spot with a big group of wonderful people.  Feel free to post more about yourself whenever you are ready or post questions that you may have.  

Hugs,
Addi

[anon07072023]

I was just diagnosed in late July. At that time, I had 6 lesions in my brain, and on top of that 3 T1 blackholes. And I had 1 lesion between C4-6 and another between T9-10.  This was looking at my old MRIs.  
I haven't had a new t-spine MRI since Nov 2009. And my last brain MRI a few months ago showed a another new lesion in my brain.

Like Jen, I think my neuro believes that I should be getting lesions faster than what I am.  But, if it's actually accurate (because some are hard to see), I'm happy to be lacking in the lesion dept.  I've talked with another neuro when I went to an MS discussion, and she told me there's really no avg that they expect - it's basically all over the chart. I wished my neuro felt the same way.

-Kelly  

[jensequitur]

You seem to have a lot of lesions!  Sorry about the attack and the diagnosis, but I know it can be a relief after wondering what's wrong with you.

My first MRI, and subsequent ones, are pretty light on lesions.  My neurologist tells me that I should have a higher lesion load considering my current symptoms.  My RNFL (retinal nerve fiber layer) is pretty thin in spots, so it looks like I have a lot of axon damage without lesion formation.  (More on that later - I'll post about my OCT today.)

But all that is to say that some people have a lot of lesions, but their symptoms are relatively mild, while others have a few lesions but more symptoms.  I don't know which boat you're in, and it's probably too early to tell.

I think the lesions that caused me the most problems are in the frontal lobe, the corpus callosum, and the brainstem.  

The good news is that your brain volume is normal - it means that there's no atrophy, or no perceptible atrophy.