MRI shows an opacity ...terrified,help!
MRI shows an opacity ...terrified,help!
Hi guys.... After months of feeling dizzy/woozy, intermittent hot feeling in right lower calf, headaches every morning, I finally plucked up the courage to attend my MRI brain. This was a week ago and it has shown "no demyelating features but a 2mm diameter high intensity, oval opacicity in the signal in flair unspecified in nature. I work in a GP surgery and my doc says not to worry and that my symptoms (above) aren't typical of MS but I'm going to a neurologist ASAP Because I'm thinking the absolute worst now. The only way I can think of it is that I have a lesion on my brain that is typical of MS. I've convinced myself my dizziness from last august means I've got it and it feels like a death sentence. I'm so upset my biggest fear is turning into a reality. The 2mm opacity found is "unspecific' and my doc said its therefore nothing to worry about. I don't believe this tho and I'm terrified I've got MS. Can people have oval opacities in the White matter without having MS? Help!
Re: MRI shows an opacity ...terrified,help!
Yes, there are many conditions that can cause anomalies, such as opacities or hyperintensities, in MRI that aren't MS.Jayney84 wrote:Can people have oval opacities in the White matter without having MS? Help!
Re: MRI shows an opacity ...terrified,help!
Thank you that's good to know.
Also forgot to mention I also have been found to have a raised immunoglobulin IgA which my doc said means there's some infection somewhere. I had these tests when the were checking for coeliac disease. My bloods came back as negative but I have raised coeliac IgA antibodies. Totally baffled and in a right state. It's my sons second birthday today and alls I can think of is MS. Can't stop crying it's awful. Sick of the fuzzy head and waking up with a headache every single day
Also forgot to mention I also have been found to have a raised immunoglobulin IgA which my doc said means there's some infection somewhere. I had these tests when the were checking for coeliac disease. My bloods came back as negative but I have raised coeliac IgA antibodies. Totally baffled and in a right state. It's my sons second birthday today and alls I can think of is MS. Can't stop crying it's awful. Sick of the fuzzy head and waking up with a headache every single day
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lyndacarol
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Re: MRI shows an opacity ...terrified,help!
This infection could be due to bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine where vitamin B12 is normally absorbed.Jayney84 wrote:Also forgot to mention I also have been found to have a raised immunoglobulin IgA which my doc said means there's some infection somewhere. I had these tests when the were checking for coeliac disease. My bloods came back as negative but I have raised coeliac IgA antibodies.
It is my understanding that the ileum (last section of the small intestine) contains lymphoids called Peyer's Patches, which secrete IgA antibodies to battle intestinal infections. If there is bacterial overgrowth at the very narrow terminal end of the ileum (where vitamin B12 is normally absorbed into the bloodstream), this can result in B12 malabsorption.
Some physicians might want to take only one or two blood tests, but the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University recommends the following set to maximize the chance of getting accurate results:
Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) both IgA and IgG
Anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) - IgA
Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) - IgA
Total IgA level
Were these the the blood tests that your doctor ordered? Further testing might include a biopsy or Video Capsule Endoscopy (VCE).
Many people with negative results on the blood tests and even the intestinal biopsy used to diagnose celiac disease have been told that gluten wasn't their problem. Many of these people tried a gluten-free diet anyway and reported that they felt much better. Their symptoms, including fatigue, gastrointestinal complaints, and neurological issues, cleared when they ate gluten-free; they didn't meet the strict diagnostic criteria of celiac disease, but felt they were sensitive to gluten.
Your symptoms of "brain fog" and headaches (and even lesions) are consistent with celiac disease (or the less severe gluten-sensitivity), as you probably know, and also with a vitamin B12 deficiency, among other conditions.
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lyndacarol
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Re: MRI shows an opacity ...terrified,help!
As posted by MSUK: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... 26333.html
Celiac disease linked to increased risk of nerve damage http://www.securio.net/msuk/admin/ (13/05/15)
People with celiac disease may be at higher risk of neuropathy, according to a new study published in JAMA Neurology.
Celiac disease can affect everyone differently, meaning it can be tricky to diagnose. However, digestive symptoms - such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal bloating and pain and weight loss - are most common in children, while adults with the condition are more likely to experience fatigue, bone or joint pain, arthritis or other non-digestive symptoms.
It is estimated that around 1% of the US population - the equivalent to 1 in 133 Americans - have celiac disease, though it is thought around 83% of these individuals are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other illnesses.
The association between celiac disease and neuropathy, or nerve damage, is not new. According to the researchers of this latest study, including Dr. Jonas F. Ludvigsson of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, it was first identified almost 50 years ago.
Untreated celiac disease has also been linked to increased risk of nerve-related conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
For their study, Dr. Ludvigsson and colleagues set out to determine the absolute and relative risk of neuropathy among a nationwide population-based sample of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of celiac disease.
2.5-fold increased neuropathy risk for patients with celiac disease
The study included 28,232 individuals from Sweden whose celiac disease was confirmed with small-intestine biopsies, alongside 139,473 age- and sex-matched controls.
The researchers identified 198 (0.7%) participants with celiac disease who were later diagnosed with neuropathy, while neuropathy was later diagnosed in 359 (0.3%) of control participants.
The team calculated that overall, participants with celiac disease were around 2.5 times more likely to receive a later diagnosis of neuropathy than those without celiac disease.
The absolute risk of developing neuropathy was estimated to be 64 per 100,000 person-years among participants with celiac disease, while the absolute risk of neuropathy was estimated at 15 per 100,000 person-years among participants free of celiac disease.
Commenting on their findings, the researchers say:
"We found an increased risk of neuropathy in patients with celiac disease that persists after celiac disease diagnosis. Although absolute risks for neuropathy are low, celiac disease is a potentially treatable condition with a young age of onset."
The team adds that the study indicates patients with neuropathy should be screened for celiac disease.
In November 2014, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that some non-gluten wheat proteins may trigger celiac disease.
Published in the Journal of Proteome Research, the study revealed that non-gluten proteins including serpins and purinins triggered a greater immune reaction among patients with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis - a rash associated with the disease - than among those without such conditions.
Source: MNT © 2004-2015 MediLexicon International Ltd (13/05/15)
Celiac disease linked to increased risk of nerve damage http://www.securio.net/msuk/admin/ (13/05/15)
People with celiac disease may be at higher risk of neuropathy, according to a new study published in JAMA Neurology.
Celiac disease can affect everyone differently, meaning it can be tricky to diagnose. However, digestive symptoms - such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal bloating and pain and weight loss - are most common in children, while adults with the condition are more likely to experience fatigue, bone or joint pain, arthritis or other non-digestive symptoms.
It is estimated that around 1% of the US population - the equivalent to 1 in 133 Americans - have celiac disease, though it is thought around 83% of these individuals are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other illnesses.
The association between celiac disease and neuropathy, or nerve damage, is not new. According to the researchers of this latest study, including Dr. Jonas F. Ludvigsson of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, it was first identified almost 50 years ago.
Untreated celiac disease has also been linked to increased risk of nerve-related conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
For their study, Dr. Ludvigsson and colleagues set out to determine the absolute and relative risk of neuropathy among a nationwide population-based sample of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of celiac disease.
2.5-fold increased neuropathy risk for patients with celiac disease
The study included 28,232 individuals from Sweden whose celiac disease was confirmed with small-intestine biopsies, alongside 139,473 age- and sex-matched controls.
The researchers identified 198 (0.7%) participants with celiac disease who were later diagnosed with neuropathy, while neuropathy was later diagnosed in 359 (0.3%) of control participants.
The team calculated that overall, participants with celiac disease were around 2.5 times more likely to receive a later diagnosis of neuropathy than those without celiac disease.
The absolute risk of developing neuropathy was estimated to be 64 per 100,000 person-years among participants with celiac disease, while the absolute risk of neuropathy was estimated at 15 per 100,000 person-years among participants free of celiac disease.
Commenting on their findings, the researchers say:
"We found an increased risk of neuropathy in patients with celiac disease that persists after celiac disease diagnosis. Although absolute risks for neuropathy are low, celiac disease is a potentially treatable condition with a young age of onset."
The team adds that the study indicates patients with neuropathy should be screened for celiac disease.
In November 2014, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that some non-gluten wheat proteins may trigger celiac disease.
Published in the Journal of Proteome Research, the study revealed that non-gluten proteins including serpins and purinins triggered a greater immune reaction among patients with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis - a rash associated with the disease - than among those without such conditions.
Source: MNT © 2004-2015 MediLexicon International Ltd (13/05/15)