MS - So Many Questions

[Joyfuldad2]

Background: Acoustic Neroma Surgery in 1986 and 1997. Diagnosed with Bilateral Medial Epacolitis(spelling?)

I've been told by some my wife that I am a hypochondriac.

I am 50 years old and have fought fatigue for sometime. In the past year I have noticed that I get off balance very easily when I'm walking and more trouble when I am standing in place. If I hold onto something, I can generally stand still. I went to the Dr. and had an MRI because the neurologist also found that I had an nystagmus in my left eye. He said this was probably due to my AN surgery. Just this week I have been noticing tingling in my hands, more so in my left. I have also been having trouble coming up with the word I'm looking for sometimes. I know what I want to say but it won't come out, so there's an awkward  pause (doesn't happen a lot). I have a desk job, but I've noticed that I get hot enough to sweat even though I'm not moving around a lot.

I had an MRI back in November 2013 because of my balance issues, here are some of the excerpts. Does any of this point to further testing for MS? Or any other disease for that matter?

"There are a few tiny T2 hypeintensities within the subcortical white matter of the frontal lobes bilaterally. They are nonspecific in appearance but may represent small vessel ischemic type changes. There is incidental cavum septum pellucida and cavum vergae. Within the posterior fossa, there are a couple foci of susceptibility artifact along the tentorium, probably due to previous blood products(I have not been on any blood products). There is minimal linear enhancement with the IAC which is likely post surgical in nature. Cerebellar tonsils are minimally low lying below the foramen magnum."

Should I be getting a second opinion? Should I just wait it out, maybe some of the issues will go away?

[Joyfuldad2]

Thanks. I've been know to over-react. I will note that the Dr. reading the MRI did not compare it to previous MRI's.

I am trying to get in contact with my neuro to see if he had received copies of my previous MRI's to compare to the most recent.

If problems increase, I will get a second consult.

[kwarendorf]

Hi JD - Welcome to the group.

The radiology report does not scream MS. While not a diagnostician, this radiologist thinks that the "few tiny T2 hyperintensities" found were the ischemic in nature, meaning the result of blood flow issues. If the radiologist had suspected that the lesions were MS related they would have suspected demyelination. Demyelination is the end result of MS attacking the myelin sheath that coats nerves.

The symptoms you describe could be caused by MS, but they could be caused by many other things as well. GIven your previous surgery, and the radiologist's suspicion of ischemia, I would lean in that direction. As to over heating aat your desk, MS does not cause us to heat up spontaneously.  Once over heated, whether through outdoor temp or exercise etc., MS ramps up and can cause symptoms not present when cool.

Do you have plans to see either a new neuro or the one you saw realting to your AN?

KYLE