MRI results - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

Merc100 · 07-23-2004, 04:33 PM

I previously posted a topic in this section named "Body Numb" .... I just had the doctor call me and tell me my head MRI showed that I had 5 white spots on my brain. He said alot of normal people has 4-5 spots on his head and not have MS.... But again my body is still numb and I have 5 spots on my head. He is going to send me for a MRI on my back to see if there is anything further he can see. Does any of this make sense to any of you? Should I be concerned and is MS that bad worse case?

Cheers,
Dean

Jewel2 · 07-23-2004, 06:00 PM

Hi Dean,
To get a diagnosis of MS there is a set of criteria that doctors try to follow. It can include MRI's, clinical symptoms, LP, and VEP's in different combinations. Your doc is right about spots being in healthy people's brains. The spots can be caused by age, migraines and other things. The location of the spots in the brain can be telling. If I were you I would get the radiology report that was done on your MRI's. Doctors sometimes summarize things differently than the radiologist. I do think it's good he's checking for lesions in your spine as well.

Except in very rare cases, MS is not a death sentence. Yes, it can alter your life in many ways if you have a bad case, but many cases of MS can be mild with a very slow decline in health. My mom has had MS for about 16 years and nobody outside the family would know it. Her worst symptoms are tingly, restless legs and fatigue. She's doing pretty well, though.

MS is very unpredictable, so it's useless to worry about what the future holds. If in fact you do have MS, your best use of energy is to research what is helping MS patients maintain their health and vitality, and keeping a positive attitude.

I really hope this is a false alarm for you and there is no MS in your body, but if so, we're here for you!

Take care,
Julie

Sampy123 · 07-24-2004, 12:48 PM

Dean,
Julie is right. No need to panic. White spots in the brain are very common. I have 3 and I do not have MS. The numbness can come from any number of places. Your dr. will probably have you repeat the brain MRI in 3 months. This is to see if more spots appear, or if they have moved across the brain - kind of like clouds in the sky. It there are more spots, or they have moved, your dr. will probably want to do a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to confirm or rule out MS. Wishing you the best possible outcome. Keep us posted.

Shari

jean b · 07-25-2004, 07:28 AM

Dean,
Julie seems to know best. I only have two spots as of right now. (not diagnosed with ms) You can also get spots from hitting your head. My doctor was fine with the spots but did not like the results of the NES test he did. (I think thats what it is called) They see how fast the your brain gets the stimuli- mine came back abnormal -there was a slowing. My doctor is sending me for another MRI- says they should be four months apart. Good Luck

Sampy123 · 07-25-2004, 10:33 AM

And just to respond to that last post, along with the brain lesions, I too had significant slowing of the nerve signals from the brain to the extremeties, and still, I was found NOT to have MS. I was diagnosed with APLS - another autoimmune disease that can cause numbness and tingling. Many things mimic MS and treatment varies greatly from one to another, so getting the proper diagnosis is crucial. A spinal tap would be able to reveal if there was any type of demylenation, which could be indicative of MS. Hope this helps.

Shari