Help with MRI results
 

Hi everyone,

I'm a 29 year old female who has been to several drs lately for a variety of new symptoms that have gotten worse over the past few years: extreme fatigue (i could literally go into a corner on the floor right now and fall asleep in two seconds), tingling in left eye for several years that has now moved to tingling in lower left side of face near my lips, numbness in right side of neck to right side of chest that comes and goes, increased light sensitivity, legs always feel exhausted and crampy like i ran a marathon, shaky/lightheaded/dizzy, embarrassing memory problems, and very infrequent bladder incontinence.

Blood test/urinalysis: SED rate was slightly elevated, and I had tests to rule out autoimmune diseases like Lupus. Urinalysis found numerous neutrophils and proteins but no UTI (they told me I wasn't drinking enough water). Drs thought, based on my symptoms, possibly MS or lyme (and others said I need to take Xanax because it's all anxiety/stress, although I don't feel more stressed than usual).

Had an MRI done and the results are: Approx 3 punctate foci of T2/FLAIR hyper intensities within the subcortical white matter of the right cerebral hemisphere with are not specific.

I just got back from the neurologist, who couldn't tell me what those MRI results really were caused from but not to worry. I have been a migraine sufferer for much of my life, but they said the above MRI results would be due to an increase in migraine frequency, which I haven't really had.

Can anyone explain to me from their experience what the above MRI results can mean, and if I should be concerned? Could the results really just be from migraines, or could the MRI results - coupled with my other symptoms - be MS?

Hello fizzyrox and welcome to NeuroTalk.

There is a diagnostic Criteria for Multiple Sclerosis (The McDonald Criteria).

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sym.../Diagnosing-MS

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sym...ns-to-Rule-Out

You may want to read the impression section of the MRI report as that will usually give some indication of findings, but is not a diagnosis. Unfortunately, non-specific could mean just about anything :( and is a very general term.

In the diagnostic process Drs. look for "signs" of what may be the cause of a patient's symptoms. Signs include Neurological exam and testing. Symptoms are those things that we, as patients experience. Right now it's doesn't sound like you have enough "signs" to support a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.

hello and welcome,

snoop is right. i could make a few suggestions; keep a sx (symptom) journal with the date and sx you have. get a copy of the mri disc & the report. start a medical file on yourself with copies of dr visits. it will all be helpful if you see any other drs. and, you will learn a lot.

you might also consider getting a 2nd opinion. i don't like drs that chalk problems up to just migraines or stress, or hormones. to me, that dr isn't really listening to you. they're not validating you or really looking for a dx or reason for the problem. dx = diagnosis.

take a deep breathe and formulate a plan of action. if any other plan makes sense then pursue it; like a 2nd opinion. you may have to let a few months go by and see how you are. sometimes MS, or other illness, isn't dx'd right away.

you are your own best advocate. don't give up.

Thank you both! Great suggestions and links. I'm definitely going to see how I continue to feel and then decide on my next steps. I guess I'm just starting to feel crazy from all these symptoms, results, and lack of any diagnosis! But, I know I'm not alone and appreciate your responses. :hug: