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What Does An Ischemic Change In The Pons Indicate?
Question: What does mild ischemic changes in the pons mean?
Brief Answer:
Chronic changes to small blood vessels leading to low blood supply.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to HealthcareMagic!
I wonder if that is a CT or MRI report, perhaps if you uploaded a photo of the complete report in the Reports section it might be useful.
That phrase which you brings to us indicates that there is some chronic damage to the small blood vessels, leading to their narrowing with lowered blood supply which has caused some tiny areas of damage. The pons is an area of the brainstem where these changes have been noted.
To a point some ischemic changes are to be expected with age, the older the patients the more likely are they to be found. It is a chronic process occurring over many years. Since they are mild they are not alarming but they do call for some attention. Apart from age and genetic factors one must pay attention to risk factors which accelerate changes in blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, sedentary lifestyle etc and address them in order to slow down progression over the years (if such factors are present that is, in some cases it's simply due to age and genetic predisposition and not much can be done).
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Chronic changes to small blood vessels leading to low blood supply.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to HealthcareMagic!
I wonder if that is a CT or MRI report, perhaps if you uploaded a photo of the complete report in the Reports section it might be useful.
That phrase which you brings to us indicates that there is some chronic damage to the small blood vessels, leading to their narrowing with lowered blood supply which has caused some tiny areas of damage. The pons is an area of the brainstem where these changes have been noted.
To a point some ischemic changes are to be expected with age, the older the patients the more likely are they to be found. It is a chronic process occurring over many years. Since they are mild they are not alarming but they do call for some attention. Apart from age and genetic factors one must pay attention to risk factors which accelerate changes in blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, sedentary lifestyle etc and address them in order to slow down progression over the years (if such factors are present that is, in some cases it's simply due to age and genetic predisposition and not much can be done).
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
This came from an MRI that I had. Would this require further testing? When you say low blood supply is this to the brain? I had this MRI because of my neck and should on my right side was hurting. If I knew how I would send you the report, when I read it I don't see anything about what caused the pain. The pain in my neck and shoulder has pretty much gone away but experiencing pins and needles sensation in right shoulder.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information. To send the report you can simply snap a photo with your smartphone and upload the file in by clicking the upload report tab, should be somewhere in your interface, that is what most users do. Or you can use a traditional document scanner and upload that file.
Yes I mean to the brain. The pons is a part of the brain, in the brainstem, the lower part. I suppose you've had a neck MRI which has caught also the lower part of the brain (I was wondering how come it said nothing of the rest of the brain since these ischemic changes generally are diffuse - the fact it was done for the neck explains it).
So it is a coincidental finding, it has nothing to do with your neck and shoulder pain or the pins and needles. It doesn't require further testing if you mean brain imaging, simply a screening for vascular risk factors I mentioned (blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol), perhaps it has already been done during your regular check-ups.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information. To send the report you can simply snap a photo with your smartphone and upload the file in by clicking the upload report tab, should be somewhere in your interface, that is what most users do. Or you can use a traditional document scanner and upload that file.
Yes I mean to the brain. The pons is a part of the brain, in the brainstem, the lower part. I suppose you've had a neck MRI which has caught also the lower part of the brain (I was wondering how come it said nothing of the rest of the brain since these ischemic changes generally are diffuse - the fact it was done for the neck explains it).
So it is a coincidental finding, it has nothing to do with your neck and shoulder pain or the pins and needles. It doesn't require further testing if you mean brain imaging, simply a screening for vascular risk factors I mentioned (blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol), perhaps it has already been done during your regular check-ups.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I have downloaded the picture of the report. Hope this may be more helpful for you.
Thanks
Thanks
Brief Answer:
Since not conclusive a brain MRI might be scheduled.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the report. As I assumed it is a neck MRI which has captured the lower part of the brain stem of which the pons is a part.
The answer is not that conclusive as I had hoped though. It speaks of possible ischemic changes, using terms "might be" and "possible". In the conclusion it adds that they are not fully evaluated.
So why my opinion regarding their nature remains the same and they are still a coincidental finding not related to your symptoms, I would recommend a brain MRI to be scheduled. Again they are most probably the chronic changes I referred to in my previous answers and won't warrant any additional treatment but it would be prudent to schedule a brain MRI for full evaluation to confirm the nature and extent of those changes.
I hope to have been of help.
Since not conclusive a brain MRI might be scheduled.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the report. As I assumed it is a neck MRI which has captured the lower part of the brain stem of which the pons is a part.
The answer is not that conclusive as I had hoped though. It speaks of possible ischemic changes, using terms "might be" and "possible". In the conclusion it adds that they are not fully evaluated.
So why my opinion regarding their nature remains the same and they are still a coincidental finding not related to your symptoms, I would recommend a brain MRI to be scheduled. Again they are most probably the chronic changes I referred to in my previous answers and won't warrant any additional treatment but it would be prudent to schedule a brain MRI for full evaluation to confirm the nature and extent of those changes.
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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