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What Does The Following MRI Report Indicate?
Question: Just saw typo in previous question. Should have said "scattered punctuate foci of gliosis throughout the periventricular and deep hemispheric white matter are present, slightly more numerous than expected for age". What does this mean?
Brief Answer:
MRI Interpretation
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX, thanks for asking from HCM.
I can understand your concern. Before interpreting MRI, I will first describe you what is gloss, periventricular and deep hemispheric white matter?
- Gliosis - It means scarring in nervous system. Just like skin or other tissue, after injury/loss of blood supply, some part of nervous system dies. This dead part then becomes glossed due to scarring.
Now coming to small punctate foci of gliosis, it means there are multiple less than 3mm size areas of dead scarred nervous system in brain.
- Periventricular and deep hemispheric white matter - In brain, ventricles are central fluid (CSF) filled cavities. Periventricular region is the area surrounding them and it is the most deep seated white matter. So periventricular and deep hemispheric white matter are almost same.
Through these areas, important nerve tracts run which carry messages about sensations, vision, memory processing, behaviour pattern to other brain areas.
According to MRI report, there is multiple minute damage in these important areas. It is not normal at 31 years age. This type of MRI findings are observed in cases of
- Multiple lacunar infarcts - Loss of blood supply causing small sized multiple infarcts.
- Post traumatic Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) - DAI is a severe type of head injury. It affects deep seated white matter and causes such findings on MRI.
- Hypoxic damage - Hypoxia means oxygen deficiency. It can occur during delivery of baby, carbon monoxide poisoning, aspiration of food contents in wind pipe.
If your son is having any of above history or some neurological symptoms, kindly let me know.
If any doubt, do let me know.
I will help you.
Thanks. Take care.
MRI Interpretation
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX, thanks for asking from HCM.
I can understand your concern. Before interpreting MRI, I will first describe you what is gloss, periventricular and deep hemispheric white matter?
- Gliosis - It means scarring in nervous system. Just like skin or other tissue, after injury/loss of blood supply, some part of nervous system dies. This dead part then becomes glossed due to scarring.
Now coming to small punctate foci of gliosis, it means there are multiple less than 3mm size areas of dead scarred nervous system in brain.
- Periventricular and deep hemispheric white matter - In brain, ventricles are central fluid (CSF) filled cavities. Periventricular region is the area surrounding them and it is the most deep seated white matter. So periventricular and deep hemispheric white matter are almost same.
Through these areas, important nerve tracts run which carry messages about sensations, vision, memory processing, behaviour pattern to other brain areas.
According to MRI report, there is multiple minute damage in these important areas. It is not normal at 31 years age. This type of MRI findings are observed in cases of
- Multiple lacunar infarcts - Loss of blood supply causing small sized multiple infarcts.
- Post traumatic Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) - DAI is a severe type of head injury. It affects deep seated white matter and causes such findings on MRI.
- Hypoxic damage - Hypoxia means oxygen deficiency. It can occur during delivery of baby, carbon monoxide poisoning, aspiration of food contents in wind pipe.
If your son is having any of above history or some neurological symptoms, kindly let me know.
If any doubt, do let me know.
I will help you.
Thanks. Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
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