Expert: Paula Damgaard - 4/8/2006

Question
Dear Doctor ,
    Have been having some problems with headaches that are like migraines and it scared me so much that I went to have a scan to make sure that everything was O.K. in my brain.  The CT scan results said:
  The ventricles, basal cisterns and overlying cortical sulci are within normal limits. there areas od decreased attenuation involving the posterior centrum semiovale bilaterally most noticeable at the grey-white matter interface. The appearances suggest small vessel disease.MRI however is suggested for further evaluation.
  No mass effect or midline shift is seen to suggest a space occuping lesion. There is also suggestion of subtle decrease in attenuation of the periventricular white matter adjacent to the body of the lateral ventricle again, possibly secondary to ischaemic change. No intercerebral bleed or saurface collection is seen.

   I am not sure what all this means ...I am waiting to have the MRI as suggested but in the mean time i am scared...could you help me please?
Marj

Answer
Marj, I am sorry you are having such a hard time right now.  But first I need to tell you that I am not a doctor.  I am a nurse.

Without knowing anything else about you I really can't tell you what this all means.  Do you have hypertension?  Do you have diabetes?  Do you have hypothyroidism?  How old are you?  What medications do you take?  Do you smoke?  

All of these things are needed to make sense of this scan.  

I can tell you that you don't have any tumors.  But again would need mor information to help you.  

I hope you are going to have the MRI soon, and I hope you have an appointment with a good neurologist.  He/She will be able to tell you exactly what is going on.  good luck.  Paula