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What Causes Occasional Migraines And White Spots In Brain According To Test Report?
Question: Husband is having tests..........Cat scans/MRI ...& Xrays. Still testing...but they found white spots in the balance area of his brain. (Cerebellum?? Is that the balance area?)
He has been getting dizzy. He does have a history of migraines ...at times.
Any thoughts?
He has been getting dizzy. He does have a history of migraines ...at times.
Any thoughts?
Brief Answer:
Several possibilities
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
It is a little difficult to be precise without a full MRI report (for that matter at times even with a full report), the MRI includes several techniques, otherwise called sequences, and different types of spots can have different characteristics from one sequence to the other helping us differentiate them. Also there is contrast enhancement, blood vessels, precise location, size, number of those spots, all information which might help.
One hypothesis if he has been diagnosed with migraine may be simply migrainous changes. Chronic migraine patients are known to present often such brain matter changes particularly in the posterior areas (which include the cerebellum). They are not threatening and haven't shown to alter performance, so are not worrying.
Another possibility might be ischemic lesions, small strokes, if only in the posterior brain might be in the setting of an involvement of the vertebral or/and basilar arteries, the blood vessels supplying the posterior areas of the brain. Lesions to those vessels may be due to atherosclerosis or dissection (a tear in the vessel wall).
Among other possibilities might be a demyelinating condition like multiple sclerosis. Usually there are lesions in other areas more anterior though as well, and age is not that typical, so not that likely. Malignant lesions like metastasis can be added to the mix as well.
I remain at your disposal for other questions, possibly with a full MRI report which might enable me to restrict the number of possibilities.
Several possibilities
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
It is a little difficult to be precise without a full MRI report (for that matter at times even with a full report), the MRI includes several techniques, otherwise called sequences, and different types of spots can have different characteristics from one sequence to the other helping us differentiate them. Also there is contrast enhancement, blood vessels, precise location, size, number of those spots, all information which might help.
One hypothesis if he has been diagnosed with migraine may be simply migrainous changes. Chronic migraine patients are known to present often such brain matter changes particularly in the posterior areas (which include the cerebellum). They are not threatening and haven't shown to alter performance, so are not worrying.
Another possibility might be ischemic lesions, small strokes, if only in the posterior brain might be in the setting of an involvement of the vertebral or/and basilar arteries, the blood vessels supplying the posterior areas of the brain. Lesions to those vessels may be due to atherosclerosis or dissection (a tear in the vessel wall).
Among other possibilities might be a demyelinating condition like multiple sclerosis. Usually there are lesions in other areas more anterior though as well, and age is not that typical, so not that likely. Malignant lesions like metastasis can be added to the mix as well.
I remain at your disposal for other questions, possibly with a full MRI report which might enable me to restrict the number of possibilities.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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