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1044526 tn?1254514545

I hate being in limbo!!! : (

I went to the doctor with neck pain...left hand, and facial numbness. I have terrible memory problems, and poor concentration.  He sent me to a neurologist. The neurologist had me get a brain mri with, and without contrast....some blood test, and a neck ex-ray.
My mri results are below.  I'm 47

Findings:
The sulci, cisterns, and ventricles are normal. There is no extra-axial fluid collection or intracranial hemorrhage.  There is no mass effect or midline shift.  Posterior fossa and cerebellopontine angles are normal.

Corpus callosum demonstrates normal thickness.  Slight nodularity callososeptal interface.  Several nonspecific punctate foci of nonenhancing T2-weighted and FLAIR hyperintensity within the subcortical white matter and to a lesser degree periventricular white matter. these findings can be seen with multiple sclerosis.

No abnormal enhancement.  The sella and its contents are normal. Mucosal thickening maxillary, ethmoidal and sphenoid sinuses. Mastoid air cells are normal.  The intracranial vascular flow-voids are normal

IMPRESSION:

1.  No acute intracranial disease.
2.  Nonspecific foci of nonenhancing T2-weighted and FLAIR hyperintensity within the subcortical white matter and periventricular white matter. There is a slight nodularity of the callososeptal interface.  These findings can be seen with multiple sclerosis.
Recommend clinical correlation.


The next day after I got these results my blood test came in showing....low B12 , and an abnormal thyroid.
I'm afraid to get the spinal tap, but feel as if that is the only way to know for sure what is going on.  I would appreciate any comments on this.  I'm really feeling lost.
7 Responses
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923105 tn?1341827649
As already mentioned above, you need to get yourself to a Neuro.  I had my dx without the need of an LP, guess I was lucky on that side of things.

I was dx 9 years ago now, so back then they really relied on the MRI findings, but today they have a protocol to follow, as we all know that MS is the great copier:/

Debs
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Kim,

Sorry to hear that your experiencing all of these bad symptoms that tend to complicate our life. I have been undergoing testing for a year now and still no dx. I had the LP done a few months ago and it really went well. They freeze your back and you don't even feel that injection. But from what I have been reading the LP doesn't really confirm anything unless it comes back positive. If it's negative it doesn't mean theirs no MS. Our MRI findings are almost identical and I very frustrated that things take so long to figure out. I saw an MS specialist in Canada and he told me that it wasn't MS "today". He would like to follow up with me in a years time.

Hang in there, try to stay positive and reach out to people who love you. It's important that you share how your feeling on your bad days to get much needed support. I had a hard time with this and kept everything inside for quite a while and it's not worth it. Currently I am off work. I am a nurse who worked 12 shifts (days and nights) now I'm not able to do that. The doctors are recommending I stay off work a for a little while and get some rest.

Keep us posted...

Shelley
Helpful - 0
572651 tn?1530999357
Hi Kimmy
how I read this report is the strong suspicion is there that this is MS but your neurologist now needs to back up and hear your entire story.  What are your symptoms ,   how do they present themselves?

This is where the good neurologist really takes the time to question and listen to you and puts all the evidence together into a diagnosis.

The non-ehanncing just means that there are no lesions there that are newer than about 40 days old. Only new/active lesions enhance with contrast.

Good luck and I hope you will stick around and learn more about MS.

my best,
Lulu

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm a fellow limbolander and know your pain!  lol!

The lp isn't bad unless you get a leak.  That can be fixed with a blood patch.

I'm not sure I'd do the pucture anyways.  From the reading I have done, it appears that people are moving away from taps as being the final tool in dx.  

Hopefully you have a good neuro!  When is your next appointment?  Depending on your exam, that might be all you need since the radiologist says to clinically corrdinate.

In the meantime, get to your GP so he can treat the low B12 and give you a referall to an endocrinologist for the abnormal thyroid. These two things will probably have to be corrected before the neuro will say its MS since the dx is considered only after all the mimics are ruled out.  And hit the yellow icon (health pages) to get as educated as you can.  You will have to be a great advocate for yourself!

Hang in there and keep us updated!
My best,
Karen
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Welcome to our MS Forum, Kim.

Your radiology report is quite thorough, but it isn't specific for MS. And LP results don't 'prove' anything either, especially when they're negative. Diagnosing MS can be a tediously long process, involving ruling out many other conditions which mimic MS. For more info on this and lots of things, please look at our Health Pages, accessible at the yellow icon in the upper right.

I hope you have a good neuro who specializes in MS, and who will put together findings from all these tests as well as a thorough neurological exam, which takes a minimum of 30 minutes, often an hour.

If you decide to have the LP, remember that most people have no problems with it and no recovery time. I'm one of 'most folks.'

Sending good wishes,
ess
Helpful - 0
1044526 tn?1254514545
Thanks Alex,
I'm trying to hang in.  I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to something as awful as a spinal tap.  Just so I can find out one way or another.
Helpful - 0
667078 tn?1316000935
My LP got me out of limbo but for many it comes up negative. I had to go through two years of testing for my diagnosis even though from November 2007 Neurologist thought it may be MS. All my tests pointed to MS from the beginning, but they waited to do the LP until March 2009. If my LP had not been so high with O-bands I would still be doing testing every six months. I was totally frustrated  and depressed at that point.

MS is a very difficult disease to diagnose. Neurologists want to be sure because your life is changed with the diagnosis. There are over thirty diseases which Mimic MS and over 800 other neurological conditions.

I know it is hard not to worry and in this age of medicine to want fast answers, but with MS it seldom works that way.

Hang in there,
Alex
Helpful - 0
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