Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Multiple Lesions In Brain?
Question: Hi My niece is 22 and in the past 6-12 months has started to have seizures! the doctors did a mri scan n found 1-2 lesions on the brain then did another 2 weeks later n found about 10! Just before she has the seizure one side of her face gets sore n starts to swell quite a bit! After having the seizure she feels wiped out so she has a sleep forabout 2 hours or so n when she wakes she says she feels fantastic! The doctors have done all sorts of tests on her spinal tap, blood cancer brain tumor ms etc but cant seem to find anything wrong! She went on holidays to Uganda about 18 months ago and also has been to Indonesia a number of times but has never had any vaccinations! MS does run in her fathers side of the family but the doctors have ruled it out! Would you have any idea on what the cause could be?
Brief Answer:
Infections are more likely
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query.
I have noted your niece's symptoms, MRI findings and treatment. Based on the description, the most likely causes could be infections in the brain. This is because other common cause- demyelination due to multiple sclerosis has been ruled out.
Common infections causing multiple lesions in brain are tapeworm (neurocysticercosis) and tuberculosis (tuberculoma). There is no easy way to confirm these, as most standard tests come out negative. So, we end up giving empirical treatment (based on guess). If the person does not respond to treatment, we go for biopsy (minor brain surgery) of one of the brain lesions to confirm the diagnosis.
In addition, anti-epileptic drugs should be continued.
I hope it helps. Please get back if you have any follow up queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist
Infections are more likely
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query.
I have noted your niece's symptoms, MRI findings and treatment. Based on the description, the most likely causes could be infections in the brain. This is because other common cause- demyelination due to multiple sclerosis has been ruled out.
Common infections causing multiple lesions in brain are tapeworm (neurocysticercosis) and tuberculosis (tuberculoma). There is no easy way to confirm these, as most standard tests come out negative. So, we end up giving empirical treatment (based on guess). If the person does not respond to treatment, we go for biopsy (minor brain surgery) of one of the brain lesions to confirm the diagnosis.
In addition, anti-epileptic drugs should be continued.
I hope it helps. Please get back if you have any follow up queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
