MRI question

[JennyR101]

33 year old with minor MS symptoms.   MRI results show: Bilateral periventricular white matter flair hyperintensities are present, left greater than right , without restricted diffusion.  Impression: Few scattered foci of non-enhancing signal abnormality are present within the white matter. What does all of this mean?

[JennyR101]

Just want to say that I have found this forum very helpful in understanding MS.    
This week I was lucky to see a neurologist and MS is on the list of possibilities, but so is Lupus, Sarciodosis, and metabolic issues such as B12 deficiency.  Thanks to this site, the list of possibilities did not come as a surprise.  
The neurologist took ample time to ask questions and complete a neurological exam.  Over the next few months I will be busy getting bloodwork, Xray, LP, spinal MRI.  Hopefully by late summer or fall we'll have a better understanding.
Cheers

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome,

Your MRI isn't providing enough consistent-suggestive evidence for MS to be on the top of your list of possible causes, unfortunately a few non enhancing periventricular lesions wouldn't be particularly suggestive of anything specific.....what minor MS symptoms are you experiencing?

Cheers.....JJ

[JennyR101]

Thank-you for replying.  For past 2 weeks I have  been experiencing right leg weakness, numbness in right foot and balance issues.  

[supermum_ms]

Have you had a spinal MRI yet? It's possible your symptoms are from a spinal cord lesion but other spinal issues could also explain it, not as many are common in your age group though...unilateral symptoms are more common in MS so unfortunately MS would still be on your list of possible causes and it may take some time for whats happening to become more clear.

Hang in there........JJ

[JennyR101]

Thank-you.  I'm on the waitist for a spinal MRI.  Also waitlisted for Neurology.  Should someone in my situation also have a LP or is this not necessary if I have a spinal MRI?

[supermum_ms]

You don't actually require an LP for diagnosing MS, a positive LP (2+ unique Obands) helps add weight towards MS when you don't have enough diagnostic evidence to meet the Mcdonald criteria. With only having non specific periventricular lesions showing up, there isn't enough to diagnose MS, but if your spinal MRI did show one or more spinal cord lesions then you would have enough to meet the MS diagnostic criteria.  

MS is complicated to diagnose, even your clinical exam is important, without neurologically abnormal clinical signs the causation is typically not a neurological condition like MS, think of MS as being more clinical and all the neurologically related test results lead towards or against MS being the most likely explanation.

What country are you from? Different countries have different procedures and that may make a difference on if you would still need an LP or not.

Cheers...JJ

ps try to stay open minded, it may not be MS  

[JennyR101]

Thanks...I'm from Canada.