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What Does The Following Brain MRI Report Indicate?

Posted on Mon, 14 Sep 2015

Question: MRI of the Brain Report notes:
Impression:
Involutional cerebral atrophy commensurate with age. Disproportionate dilatation of the lateral ventricles relative to the degree of atrophy raising the possibility of normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Altered periventricular white matter signal and discrete subcentimeter foci both frontal lobels likely gliosis and microvascular disease. My Mom had this on her MRI report and passed away a fewdays after she had the MRI and I picked up the report and wanted to know what this all means as I have not had a chance to speak with any about this yet and was looking online and trying to break it all down

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
As follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com and I really feel sorry for the irreparable loss and you have suffered to.May God rest your mother's soul in peace.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query.

Normal pressure hydrocphalus(NPH) is a disease of mostly elderly population where cerebrospinal fluid pressure increases in the brain causing enlargement of brain ventricles and cortical atrophy which is usually disproportionate to the dilatation of the lateral ventricles.Main symptoms of NPH are memory loss,urinary incontinence and gait apraxia(severe difficulty in walking in which feet of the patient appear glued to the floor and they have difficulty in getting foot off the floor).

'Altered periventricular white matter signal and discrete subcentimeter foci'-can be associated with following conditions in your mother's case:
1)Physiologically in old age
2)Hypertension or high blood pressure(if she was hypertensive)
3)Vascular disease or vasculitis

This can commonly occur in elderly MRI's.These may or may not be symptomatic.

However,MRI findings are unlikely to explain death directly.However,these may result in secondary complications to cause death.

Hope that I have answered your query.If you have some further questions,I shall be glad to answer else please close the thread,rate it and write a review as your rating will be of help to me.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (1 hour later)

Thank you for your response. My mother could no longer walk and was also experiencing tremors in her arms and legs where she couldnt hardly hold a glass of water and when we tried to stand her up I would say at times it appeared that she was frozen. It took about 2-3 years for this to become full blown and started reeking havoc on my mother. My mother also suffered from chronic Leukemia and the Leukemia did something rare I believe its callled pleural effusion where the Leukemia invaded the lungs and she was also on oxygen - could NPH have been caused by this condition or there is no explanation for it and also would there have been any treatment for NPH and also is it hereditary. Thank you for your help doctor

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
As follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

Yes, Leukemias can cause secondary NPH. It is likely scenario in this case.

Shunt surgery could have been done for NPH. Medicines may not help much in severe cases.However,at the age of 80 years,many doctors may not prefer to do a shunt surgery,considering the complications of surgery,especially in elderly.

NPH is not a hereditary disease.

Hope that I have answered your query.If you have some further questions,I shall be glad to answer else please close the thread,rate it and write a review as your rating will be of help to me.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar