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MRI Showing Chronic White Matter Ischemic Changes Of The Pons. What Does This Mean? History Of Disc Surgeries
Question: What doe chronic white matter ischemic changes of the pons mean? I am a 58 year old male and just had a MRI.I have had multiple disk surgeries.
Hello,
Thanks for the query.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans are to be interpreted based on clinical history and current symptoms. To be able to address this query better, I would like you to answer the following questions.
Did you suffer from any minor stroke at any time?
Do you have history of hypertension?
Chronic white matter ischemic changes mean few of your small vessels (capillaries) might have got occluded leading to small ischemic (poor blood supply) damages. These sorts of changes are seen in elderly, hypertensive individuals. The damages are predominantly noted around the ventricles and sometimes in the brainstem.
It looks like the small capillaries supplying your brainstem (pons) have got thickened and ultimately occluded leading to white matter ischemic damages. The cause for these occlusions may need to be evaluated by a neurophysician. Hence I suggest you to consult your local neurologist / physician; he/she will assess you in details and if needed will evaluate further and guide you for future treatment.
Hope I have answered your queries. Let me know if you need any more information.
Best Wishes
Thanks for the query.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans are to be interpreted based on clinical history and current symptoms. To be able to address this query better, I would like you to answer the following questions.
Did you suffer from any minor stroke at any time?
Do you have history of hypertension?
Chronic white matter ischemic changes mean few of your small vessels (capillaries) might have got occluded leading to small ischemic (poor blood supply) damages. These sorts of changes are seen in elderly, hypertensive individuals. The damages are predominantly noted around the ventricles and sometimes in the brainstem.
It looks like the small capillaries supplying your brainstem (pons) have got thickened and ultimately occluded leading to white matter ischemic damages. The cause for these occlusions may need to be evaluated by a neurophysician. Hence I suggest you to consult your local neurologist / physician; he/she will assess you in details and if needed will evaluate further and guide you for future treatment.
Hope I have answered your queries. Let me know if you need any more information.
Best Wishes
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Thank you for your response.I have never had any history of stroke or hypertension,but have a long history of migraine headaches since childhood.
Hello,
Thanks for providing the details. If you are not hypertensive and there is no history of ischemic stroke in past then please get yourself evaluated by your neurophysician once to rule out other differentials of these sort of changes. He/she will asses you in details, do few more required evaluations and guide you regarding further treatment.
Migraineurs also have white matter changes akin to ischemic changes but they are seen in posterior head region, isolated changes in pons will be unlikely.
As of now, just relax. These changes don't imply some impending catastrophe. These are incidental findings in an apparently healthy individual which need to be considered in this regard.
I hope I have addressed your concerns. I would be available for follow ups.
Best Wishes
Dr. Neeraj Baheti
Thanks for providing the details. If you are not hypertensive and there is no history of ischemic stroke in past then please get yourself evaluated by your neurophysician once to rule out other differentials of these sort of changes. He/she will asses you in details, do few more required evaluations and guide you regarding further treatment.
Migraineurs also have white matter changes akin to ischemic changes but they are seen in posterior head region, isolated changes in pons will be unlikely.
As of now, just relax. These changes don't imply some impending catastrophe. These are incidental findings in an apparently healthy individual which need to be considered in this regard.
I hope I have addressed your concerns. I would be available for follow ups.
Best Wishes
Dr. Neeraj Baheti
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Aparna Kohli
Thank you for making me feel better about this.I have made an appointment to see my neurosurgeon and hopefully get some answers.
Hi,
I appreciate your feedbacks.
You are most welcome should have some more issues after your consultation with neurophysician.
If you want to ask me in future, you may post your queries on this link:
WWW.WWWW.WW
Do not forget to close and review this discussion if all your queries are answered for now.
Best Wishes
Dr. Neeraj Baheti
I appreciate your feedbacks.
You are most welcome should have some more issues after your consultation with neurophysician.
If you want to ask me in future, you may post your queries on this link:
WWW.WWWW.WW
Do not forget to close and review this discussion if all your queries are answered for now.
Best Wishes
Dr. Neeraj Baheti
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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