Hi there. We're all just patients here ourselves. To say that 'anything white is abnormal' is an oversimplification. If you google brain MRI images, you can see everything from black to bright white can be found in healthy images.
They are generally looking for enhancements that are not symmetrical with special attention to their location, size, and shape. Of note, your image looks like a coronal (front to back) image. I've never seen this done with an MS protocol MRI. Usually images are sagittal (from the side) and axial (from the top down).
Again, I'm not a medical professional, but those appear to simply be your ventricles. You can find similar, healthy images here. http://www.info-radiologie.ch/brain_mri_coronal_t2.php The images you looked at with black-appearing ventricles were likely created using a different sequence (T1 versus T2, for example).
It takes years to learn to read an MRI properly, so trying to figure one out by yourself can cause a lot of unnecessary worry.
This is not to say that you shouldn't get a second opinion. If you feel you are experiencing neurological symptoms, you are the prime age and sex for MS to be considered. Your doctor should be comfortable explaining things to you that concern you.
First I must say I'm no doctor, nor do I have any expertise in reading MRIs. But I too think this image looks perfectly normal, and I agree with immisceo's comments entirely.
I just want to emphasize that MRI evaluation is best left to those with years of training. As amateurs we almost always get it wrong.
ess
Hi and welcome,
Your post has come up on the MS community and the opinions 'here' are not professional but personal opinions from our own knowledge and experiences and if you're really looking for a professional opinion you may need to post your question in the neurology doctor forum, which you will find at the top of your screen under 'Forums'.
Personally I think your understanding of MRI imaging is incorrect, all brain scans will show a lot of 'white' areas because the brain is not a solid mass, and 'white' really doesn't necessarily indicate abnormal at all, its a lot more complicated. If you look at one of the 'featured videos' displaying MRI images you will get a better idea of how much 'white' is usually visible.
Generally it's never a good idea for an untrained person to try to interpret their scans though we probably all do it anyway :D but i think your understanding has lead you to misinterpret all the 'white' in this image as being abnormal, when it's actually one slice of an area of your brain that is suppose to show up as white, the consecutive slices would also be displaying the white as the MRI passes though, I honestly don't think this image looks abnormal.
In regards to getting a second neurological opinion or not, we usually recommend getting a second opinion for various reason but you should keep in mind that there are many conditions that mimic MS, because a lot of the sx's are common to many things and not unique to MS. You haven't mentioned the sx's you experience, other than saying "I have been have many MS symptoms after the birth of my second child." but if you don't actually have any clinical signs or other diagnostic evidence of a neurological cause, it's best to be open minded because its very possible that it isn't MS but one of the mimics your dealing with instead.
Cheers..........JJ
Thank you. I thought I put this in the doctor form. My fault. I have several other images as well. I do have a lot of clinical signs. The doctor had said that MS does not always show up on the brain scan depending if I am having a current attack or not. I was by no means trying to diagnose myself. I just compared my images with that of others is all. Thanks for the advice and the link because when I looked online all i could find was that any spots that light up white and not gray with contrast as mine, It was abnormal. I was just curious. I will post on the doctors forum with more of my pictures. Thank You,
Amanda