Brain scan query
 

I am curious about something on an MRI scan from 4 years ago. I continue to have some difficulty reading after a motorcycle mishap (hit a school bus without my helmet). I was told a couple of months after that I had a small infarction of a small vessel in my brain. Lately I decided to start looking into my situation and I was looking at the entire disk of scans taken back then and this came up. What is being measured here? Anyone understand this?

This is a bleed. Infarction is when the blood vessels stop delivering blood and oxygen and the local tissue dies. I would no waste time looking at old MRI's other than to know you have damage in this location. More important would be a recent MRI showing this cell death has stopped.

Then, you just need help developing skills to work-around this injury. You can't change that those cells died. You can change how you move forward to rebuild skills and your life.

My best to you.

Thanks for responding
 

I was put on Altace to control blood pressure, keep the infarction from causing problems with my reading, was told that the tiny ballooning effect pressed against the section used for interpretation, thus I couldn't read or even interpret signs on the road without head aches and confusion. Of late I've had more of these symptoms in the most minor sort of way and pulled these old scans out to go over them again (I'm a history teacher, not exactly trained to diagnose these things) and spotted this one I had not seen with the measurements on it. I am aggravated that I was never sent to a true neurologist. When I first hit my head (a school bus hit my Harley and my head banged the side of the bus before I was launched starboard) I was accounted fine by the EMS (didn't even take me in) then later my primary ordered and found nothing on CATSCAN, but things went wrong a couple of months after (thus MRI seen here).

Thanks for response, and I REALLY like your scripture.

The 'later' CT Scan was appropriate and since it did not find a problem, the area sounds like it may have been very slow developing. Maybe a weakening of blood vessels that slowly started to leak. Or, a clogging (embolism) causing the cell death. Head and neck traumas can cause plaques in the carotid and vertebral arteries to break loose and cause blood flow issue.

Being treated by just a GP rather than a referral to a neuro was odd. Your GP is not trained in this area. It is tough enough to get a good neuro.

Did you ever take time off for quiet rest after this injury ?

No Brain Drain, They Said
 

The EMS paramedics pronounced me fit to go home and instructed that I should apply hydrogen peroxide to the head wound. They noted (oddly, with laughter) that no "gray matter" was exiting the bloody spot on the back of my head (some of my hair was on the rivets of the school bus, yuck) However, upon catching a ride with the tow truck I became nauseated and unbalanced, thus decided to refrain from work till I gained equilibrium back. My wife came home and took me to my physician, who then sent me straight away to the CT Scan. She was displeased with San Antonio EMS, by the by. I do think she had a colleague look at the images, and they agreed there was not damage. I was still unable to gain balance for a few days, popped back just fine. The blood pressure issue converged with the "infarction" a few weeks later rendering me confused and unable to read. That was quickly fixed with the Altace or work would have been impossible for the duration! I wanted my scans to look at, they put them on disk. She showed my one of the images and pointed out a tiny line, saying that was the damage, internal to the skull. I pulled out these scans after 4 years because I am noting problems reading again, and now see this one among the 30 or so that has the shadow with a measurement on it. Caught me quite by surprise. Someone seems to have dropped some proverbial ball, but as you said, if it is damage to the brain tissue the issue is mute. Perhaps ignorance really is bliss.

On another note, I gather you suffered something quite debilitating, so my little brain problems aren't for a moment overshadowing my deference to my fellow man and the really devastating physical struggles being fought, and I must commend you for looking to your recovery, but taking time to type to the likes of me. Thanks again!