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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

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Exp 50 years

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What Does This MRI Of The Brain Mean?

My friend had a MRI and this was the results: Diffuse abnormal increased T2/FLAIR signal within the periventricular and deep white matter which is non-specific, but most likely due to chronic small vessel ischemic change/chronic lacunar infarctions. What does this mean?
Mon, 24 Nov 2014
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Neurologist,  's  Response
Hello dear,
MRI is magnetic resonance imaging.Brain MRI with diffuse T2/FLAIR hyperintense signals in periventricular and deep white matter, can only be interpreted with a clinical correlation.It means that if the patient doesn't have any symptoms(like limb weakness,speaking difficulty,walking difficulty,personality changes),then these hyperintensities hardly carry any significance,as they can be seen in around 27 percent of apparently healthy individuals,although mostly seen towards older age group.But if patient is having symptoms as mentioned above,then these may be indicative of a pathology like vasculitis,demyelination or multiple small infarcts and it is in these cases that further evaluation is needed.So,if your friend is asymptomatic,just get him screened for hypertension and ask him to stop smoking(if he does so),as these may contribute to such changes in brain.If any symptoms or if any doubts,get to a neurologist.I hope it helped.
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What Does This MRI Of The Brain Mean?

Hello dear, MRI is magnetic resonance imaging.Brain MRI with diffuse T2/FLAIR hyperintense signals in periventricular and deep white matter, can only be interpreted with a clinical correlation.It means that if the patient doesn t have any symptoms(like limb weakness,speaking difficulty,walking difficulty,personality changes),then these hyperintensities hardly carry any significance,as they can be seen in around 27 percent of apparently healthy individuals,although mostly seen towards older age group.But if patient is having symptoms as mentioned above,then these may be indicative of a pathology like vasculitis,demyelination or multiple small infarcts and it is in these cases that further evaluation is needed.So,if your friend is asymptomatic,just get him screened for hypertension and ask him to stop smoking(if he does so),as these may contribute to such changes in brain.If any symptoms or if any doubts,get to a neurologist.I hope it helped.