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myelitis MS LP CSF

My CSF was drawn yesterday and it was clear.  Is that a good sign? I am anxious mainly bc I'm recovering from myelitis with right side numbness... numbness is finally getting better after 3 months but I still have spotty areas.  I've had numbness my whole life in different areas all over my body and highly sensitive skin at times where just clothes touching my skin hurt and then it would go away after a couple of days.  Also have had pain on the left side of my face like it's been slapped with hot water, like a burn, my eye hurts to open and close, cheek and  upper side of face and that'll last for roughly 2-3 days at a time.- usually 3 x's a year.  So, I've had two mri's lower lumbar after this attack 3 months ago where it showed myelitis causing right side numbness lower half of body.  MRI  neck cervical showed a very narrow spinal column with two vertebrae closing in to that thin area- I was told the column should be at least 2x's larger wider through C-5 - 8.  But my doc said that I could've been born that way...Then a brain scan where I thought I saw some white areas but the radioneurologist  said it wasn't anything to be concerned with right now,  Sorry this is so long... but my question is, if the fluid that came out of my spinal column was clear, does that mean I'm out of the woods and that it could possibly not be MS?
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667078 tn?1316000935
Are they doing more tests with the LP. Usually for MS they check something called o-bands. If you have them in the CSF and not the blood it points to MS. This tests can take a while to get back since it is sent to certain labs.

I know you are nervous. Hopefully you will get an answer soon.

Alex
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and welcome to our little MS community,

Q:"if the fluid that came out of my spinal column was clear, does that mean I'm out of the woods and that it could possibly not be MS?"

A: Unfortunately diagnosing MS is not determined by a single diagnostic test result, basically a clear or normal LP is just not diagnostically helpful but a normal LP doesn't rule out MS!

Generally MS is diagnosed based on the total picture of your clinical neurological signs, brain and spinal MRI's, LP, VEP, blood etc etc etc. You have been diagnosed with Myelitis which is associated with MS, so MS would have to be on your list of possible causations BUT MS is only one of the conditions Myelitis is associated with, there are also different types of Myelitis......

"Diseases Associated With Myelitis

Demyelinating diseases such as relatively common multiple sclerosis and Devic's disease is known to be causing myelitis.
Moreover, autoimmune connective tissue disease such as lupus, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, and paraneoplastic also cause the myelitis. Other reasons are not discovered yet but usually related to immune disorder.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: autoimmune demyelination of the brain manifesting altered level of consciousness, acute cognitive dysfunction, behavioral changes, and seizures

Multiple Sclerosis: demyelination of the brain and spinal cord
Neuromyelitis optica or Devic's disease: immune attack on optic nerve and spinal cord

Sjögren's syndrome: immune cell destroying the exocrine system of the body

Systemic lupus erythematosus: a systemic autoimmune disease manifesting variety of neurological symptoms such as headaches, depression, seizures, cognitive dysfunction, mood disorder, cerebrovascular disease, polyneuropathy, anxiety disorder, psychosis.

Sarcoidosis:[6] chronic inflammatory cells form as nodules in multiple organs
Atopy dermatitis, known as eczema: It is prevalent immune disorder in children that is reported to be related to atopy in eastern Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. Atopy is characterized by enhanced IgE responses to such common environmental antigens as pollens, foods and house dust mites, and it generally is an underlying mechanism for allergic rhinitis, asthma and dermatitis.[7] Atopic myelitis show distinctive features such as younger age at onset, non-acute onset and long duration of symptoms at admission, predominant sensory symptoms with mild weakness.[8]
There are other associated disease usually that causes the myelitis."
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myelitis]

I gather your spinal MRI found a spinal cord lesion that doesn't traverse the cord, because you say it's "causing right side numbness lower half of body" which if this is right, smaller non traversing the cord lesions are usually more consistent with MS cord lesions. I think your brain MRI may be the significant clue over your LP results, do you actually know what your brain MRI found, if any specific locations were mentioned?

Sorry but MS is complicated, i really can't tell you that MS is not a 'possible' cause of your Myelitis.....

Cheers.........JJ

PS.......breath!  

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