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Occasional hyperintensities in periventricular?

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Posted 12/1/2019 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hello all! I am confused and hope that someone here will be able to help educate me. On a recent head MRI the radiologist provided this statement, "Occasional t2 hyperintensities within the periventricular white matter which are nonspecific. Differential would include migraines, multiple sclerosis or early small vessel disease."

Everything else sounded positive. What is the clinical significance of 'occasional' as a descriptor? Why would a lesion be occasional?
Thanks.
Posted 12/1/2019 7:31 PM (GMT 0)
Just a thought, why was the MRI ordered to begin with, were you having symptoms? Age can also be a factor too. You have picked out what looks to be a sentence. Usually at the very bottom of the page it will state "Impression" & this is where the radiologist puts his/her findings. Where did you see lesion in the report? For what it's worth, lesions do not always mean a person has MS. What has your dr said about the report?
Posted 12/1/2019 8:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Rat.

Is it possible you have the word wrong? Possibly Incidental instead of occasional? I have never run across the word occasional on a MRI report before. The word "incidental" would fit with non-specific, this would simply mean the reason for the finding may or may not be of concern and your Dr. would need to find objective clinical evidence (other testing) that might explain what the MRI found.
Posted 12/2/2019 8:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Snoopy and Stray dog, thank you for your kind responses.

The MRI was originally ordered due to acute onset of severe vertigo diplopia dizziness ataxia and cognitive decline. The MRI was accomplished with and without contrast. On the report from the radiologist by we is a spot labeled
impressions "Occasional t2 hyperintensities within the periventricular white matter which are nonspecific. Differential would include migraines, multiple sclerosis or early small vessel disease."

He also states that there was " no Mass effect, midline shift or hemorrhage. Cisterns and ventricles appear patent and unremarkable. No extra axial fluid collections are identified. no cerebral ectopia and orbits appear symmetric. Flow voids appear intact and unremarkable. 7th and 8th nerves are symmetric."

So all in all it sounds positive, to my uneducated ears........except I am struggling to understand the significance of Occasional. I have doubts that is will end up as MS as I have a history of complex migraines. At least that is the hope I am holding for now. Knowing will allow me to prepare.

I know that the ms community is very knowledgeable of MRIs. I was hoping to tap into that well of experience.
Thanks again and I hope you find peace and happiness. Or at least a candy bar in your bag.🙂
Rat
Posted 12/2/2019 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
Ok, here is what I read.

"Occasional t2 hyperintensities within the periventricular white matter which are nonspecific."

The guy is scanning across the picture of white matter, looking for weirdness. All he sees are that occasionally there are spots of "hyper-intensity" which are not specific to any particular cause. Like scanning your eyes across a painted wall...every once in a while you might notice a blob in the paint, but there isn't any specific cause as to why that blob is there, and it isn't a pattern, it just occasionally shows up.

Y'all are linking "occasional" to changes in time, but it's really just changes in where on the scan (picture) one is looking.
Posted 12/3/2019 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the kind response. I appreciate your information. You folks have a wonderful day.
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