Question: I need numbers about hyper-intense T2 foci on an MRI. My wife is a GP, and I'm a scientist, so we understand the report we have. The urgent need to get care locally is hard numbers from someone with experience reading these MRI's, Getting the right physician's care will be a mighty challenge. Adjectives won't even get us a hearing, the resource constraints are so large. Only hard numbers will open the first door.

Two MRI's were taken four months apart in April and August, to get some data background to some interaction between an abscess behind the year, an ongoing inflammatory process after antibiotics (CRP ranging 3 to 5, Sed 10 to 12), sudden rashes and blisters, and known problems in C4-5-6-7 with a non-union C7 fracture just found on X-rays.

The MRI's show, - maybe related, maybe not - "hyperintense T2 foci". For several reasons, my care team - my GP wife and me - need someone with experience to provide some numbers to this specific finding.

The viewing application - and we really need an expert read at this point, not just the stills - only runs on Windows (sorry). The full zipped archive with viewing app from the radiology clinic can be downloaded from the link nder medical history.

Examples of numbers would be how many are there, even as a range, in that MRI, such as "between 10 and 15", or "between 10% and 20% more in the second", or whatever numbers best quantify the change. Quantifiable metrics are the key need.

With the greatest thanks and appreciation.

Thanks so much. I guess my wife and I are assessing pursuing a specialist since this was within 4 months. If the plane of acquisition did not increase the If a 5% change it would be 15% a year, if 10% then 30% a year. One way or another, I am feeling other symptoms, like indreasing squeeling in my head, so we need numbers wherever available to open the first door and get the rest examined.

Could you please also let me know number of such foci.

Sorry, that sent before I was ready. I meant to add, my understanding is there are more than five, but know nothing more than that. We are not going to over-react to any data. However, any metrics you can provide on number visible in the second MRI, breakdown by side, relative size compared to others you have seen, would be very very useful. There is nothing more tangible and factual than a number.
Thanks so much

Very exact numbers, thanks. Now we can be detectives! Any advice greatly appreciated:

That is, I had a terrible abscess behind my ear only discovered after two months of terrible head and neck pain, in early April, internal infection, 2 cm, purulent exudate coming out when finally found. Antibiotics cured it completely. However, about three weeks after end of antibiotics, another smaller opening occurred a couple cm from the abscess, and some flakes of blood came out. Everything has been slowly downhill from there. Since I have a non-union C7 fracture, a channel to my internals is available, only cm from where all this infection activity occurred.

Now, my right jaw often feel numb, and my right eye often feels cold inside. Rather disconcerting. I am breaking out in blisters daily, mainly upper body, back, however as far as my calves. And there is a raised ridge, like a welt from a blow, except no discolouration, about 5 cm by 3 cm on my head, growing over the last couple weeks. I will upload the pic so you can see what I mean. And the ringing in my ears, pressure in my head, and inability to work without lots of ibuprofen, is concerning my wife and I.

Through her connections, I had an LP and are waiting cultures, however it will likely be 10 more days before results are back. And I am definitely feeling worse by the day.

With this context, any further advice? We are not sure what to do except wait for the cultures. However I am bedridden now for half the day. If there is a process making these hyper intensities worse, while showing up on my skin as well, it would match my internal feeling of flu-like illness. Anything we can do to arrest the effects of any ongoing progress, at least until the cultures are complete, would be very useful. However, we are both out of our depth, and not sure what the next best steps are.

Thanks much.

Thanks for the input. Makes sense. We will think more about this viral infection.