Can someone tell me the difference between "enhancement" and "altered signal intensity" or "abnormal signal intensity"? Does all of it basically different words for "enhancement"? Of course I am referring to the MRI findings.
Thank you in advance for all information and knowledge that you have
~T

This is a bump, really, for Rex.

There is some information in the following links I posted, that might be helpful:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread164-3.html

I think MRI "abnormalties" (in the brain) can be caused by any number of things, not necessarily MS lesions. With MS, normally we hear words like:

- hyperintense (T2 lesions)
- hypointense (T1 lesions)
- discrete foci with well-defined margins
- focal abnormal areas of
enhancement, focus of enhancement (Gad-enhanced lesions)
- FLAIR sagittal images (for the corpus callosum)

And they are generally found in specific areas of the brain; corpus callosum, cerebral and cerebellar white matter, brain stem, internal capsules and visual pathways (and spinal cord).

What exactly do your MRI results say?

Hopefully Rex will be by to clarify.

Cherie

I had (2) MRI's within 5 months of each other. One in December and one in April. The first reads;

FINDINGS; The study suggests that their are minimal areas of altered brain parenchymal signal intensity. The most definite appears to be a small punctate area of cystic change in the white matter of the left frontal lobe that measures 2mm in dimension.
More questionably, there is slight prominence in perivascular spaces or small areas of altered signal intensity w/in the white matter of the left and right parietal lobes. Additionally, inversion recovery sequences suggest that there may be poorly defined areas of slightly increased signal intensity in the white matter just deep to the corticomedullary junction of the left frontal and left and right parietal lobes.

The second one reads;

Findings;
There are a few punctate to small foci of abnormal signal intensity within the left and right Corona Radiata adjacent to the Atria and posterior body of the lateral ventricals.

Sorry this was so long. Thank you again Cherie for answering my thread

Your report talks about brighter-than-normal signal on T2-weighted and FLAIR sequences (he said "inversion recovery" but I suspect he meant FLAIR). This is the "altered signal intensity" - these findings are pre-contrast. "Enhancement" relates entirely to the appearance of tissue after gadolinium has been administered. So, "altered signal intensity" and "enhancement" are not the same thing.