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Newbie - help with MRI results?

Hello all,

I've not been diagnosed with MS, but I recently had an MRI in attempt to find a cause for seizures I might be having. I got a note from the results in my email, and it's eating away at me that I can't discuss this with my doctor until Monday. Christmas Eve.

Basically, I need help decoding what this might mean for me:

"Nonspecific minimal signal is present in the centrum semiovale white matter more pronounced on the right. Differential considerations include demyelinating disorders including multiple sclerosis. Recommend further evaluation with MRI with contrast if demyelinating process is unknown for further characterization and exclude additional etiologies."

Any help would be so greatly appreciated. I'm so confused. I know and fully accept that only my doctor can tell me exactly what this means for me, but in the meantime I could really use at least some vague direction if someone could be so kind. I have no one to talk to.

I apologize in advance if this is inappropriate or annoying, please delete if necessary.

Thank you.
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and welcome,

Unfortunately what i have to say is not going to be much help to what these MRI findings could mean for you, there isn't really enough information to point you in any potential direction.....

For what it's worth, what i can tell you is that technically seizures are slightly more common in people with MS than in the general population because of the way MS affects the brain but seizures are still uncommon in MS, with only around 2% of MSers experiencing any type of seizure.

Taking that 2% statistic a step further, would also mean that seizures as a presenting MS symptom would be considered rare, not impossible but not typically how MS first presents.

I would honestly say that your dr is probably not going to be able to tell you exactly what is going on without further test results to help narrow the causation down, "Nonspecific minimal signal" could be many things or even nothing specific enough to be meaningful...

As differentials go on MRI reports, it's always best to keep in mind that whilst demyelinating conditions like MS would be on the potential causes list of high signal, T2 hyperintensities, white matter hyperintensities etc (ie lesions) in the centrum semiovale area of the brain, MS actually wouldn't typically be at the top of the list because MS isn't one of the most common causes of nonspecific minimal signal findings or seizures.

Hope i helped a little......JJ



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