posted
I having been getting copies of all of my tests and lab work since I am preparing for an LLMD visit in Feb. I had an MRI in Sept 2004 which was normal and sounds that way from the report but I'm not sure about one sentence. Here's what it says:
"Mildly heterogeneous marrow signal on the clivus may be due to fatty replacement."
Does anyone know what this means? Any help would be appreciated.
treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
Lets look at the words.
heterogeneous =Function: adjective : not uniform in structure or composition - het�ero�ge�neous�ly adverb __________
______________
marrow =: the substance of the spinal cord
________
__________
clivus = Pronunciation: kl-vs Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural cli�vi /-v/ : the smooth sloping surface on the upper posterior part of the body of the sphenoid bone supporting the pons and the basilar artery
_____
___________
Fatty = marked by an abnormal deposit of fat derived from or chemically related to fat - fat�ti�ness noun
My take on it Where ever there talking about sounds like fatty tissue has taken the area they scanned and made it somewhat out of shape lost its natural shape do to possible fatty replacemnt of the normal shape in that area.Possible is the word that bothered me there assuming its fatty tissue not something else.Plus the signal could be referring to nerves be encroached upon by the fatty deposits?
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
Have you had any follow up scans since then? Do you have a lot of neck or head pain?
I do not want to frighten you but I would want a follow up done on this since heterogenous mottling could indicate tumor or underlying systemic pathology.
The matter does change with age and conditions such as smoking, obesity, etc can also make changes so it could just be a normal variation for you. I would get another opinion and perhaps a recent scan to see if there are changes.
-------------------- **Eat Chocolate** Posts: 942 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
My MRI was all normal except for one sentence...
"few small punctate signals of increased signal intensity in midbrain, which are of questionable significance"
is this consistent with lyme as far as the area in which its in? should I be concerned?
Posts: 19 | From Connecticut | Registered: Jan 2006
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Hyperintensity, sometimes referred to as signal flare or lesions, are very consistent with Lyme.
There are many articles about this, but I will post one here. ~~~~~~~~
Neurol Neurochir Pol. 2001 Sep-Oct;35(5):803-13. Related Articles, Links
[Neuroborreliosis: CT and MRI findings in 14 cases. Preliminary communication]
[Article in Polish]
Tarasow E, Ustymowicz A, Zajkowska J, Hermanowska-Szpakowicz T.
Zakladu Radiologii Akademii Medycznej w Bialymstoku.
Since 1987 when Januszkiewicz and Kieda first described borreliosis, it is commonly recognized as infection of the nervous system in Poland, especially in north-east region. The diagnosis of the disease is mainly based on typical clinical signs, supported by serological testing. In 14 patients with clinical symptoms of neuroborreliosis CT and MR were performed to evaluate CNS changes. MR examinations were abnormal in 36%. Most patients (60%) presented cerebral atrophy. In 2 cases areas of abnormal signal were identified within cerebral white matter as well as within the brain stem. In the first case it was, recognized as demyelination focus, in second one MR showed evidence of or were suggestive of vascular involvement. In one case symmetrical calcifications were also found in internal capsules. Neuroradiological signs in Lyme disease are not specific. Neuroborreliosis has to be considered when patients present foci of hyperintense signal (T2-weighted images) in white matter and brain stem. Publication Types: Case Reports
PMID: 11873593 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-------------------- **Eat Chocolate** Posts: 942 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2005
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ticked in ri
Unregistered
posted
Imanurse,
I haven't had any recent scans. I don't have head or neck pain. I also don't smoke and I'm not obese. I did read somewhere since posting this that fatty replacement happens as we age. Although I'm not that old (37), that could be a possibility.
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