After my last complicated migraine w' aura episode my neuro ordered a new MRI. It showed I had 15 white spots all over my brain.He said it looks like I have had a bunch of mini strokes.He is very confused by this and said it makes no sense. My previous MRI back in Feb 09' was normal. I also have Transverse Myelitis and unfortunatly MS is always in the backgound for me. He said the spots are not typical of MS. Before I got TM I never had migraines and I have only had 3 since Febuary. But they are absolutely BRUTAL! Things seem different since the last one.I am having aura without pain.My doctor is having me do Evoked Potential tests this Friday. So my fingers are crossed that the spots are just from the migraines and nothing else. Any input would be greatly apprieciated.
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Q: Is it common to have abnormal brain MRI's with migraines?
StormyRenee,
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At this point, it's hard to say if it's "common," but it's not uncommon either. Some Migraineurs are showing white matter lesions on MRIs, and researchers are investigating what they might mean for us. We have several articles on our site about white matter lesions and possible brain "damage" from Migraine.
Not everyone will experience white matter lesions or any brain damage from Migraine disease. Let me give you links to the information we have this:
- The Evolving Role of Migraine Prevention
Dr. Elizabeth Loder discusses the role of prevention, especially in light of research indicating that Migraine may be a progressive disease that can cause brain damage. - Is Migraine a Progressive Brain Disease?
Examining the connection between Migraine disease, brain lesions, cerebral infarction (stroke), and the frequency of migraine attacks. - Yes, Migraines Can Cause Brain Damage
Study results are again indicating that Migraineurs who experience frequent Migraine attacks and/or have a long history of Migraines are at increased risk of "silent brain damage."
None of this is a reason to panic. It IS reason to keep working with your doctor to prevent as many Migraines as possible and to treat those you do get to stop them as soon as possible.
If your doctor is confused by this and doesn't come up with any answers, , it may well be time to consult a Migraine and headache specialist. It's important to note that neurologists aren't necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.
I hope this information helps. Pleae let me know how things go?
Welcome again,
Teri
I have white matter lesions--a lot, apparently. My neuro had me do 4 MRIs over the course of a year to see if they were changing with my migraines. They did not and he came to the conclusion that they were the result of old damage from migraines. Thankfully they were not the shape or in the area that MS lesions occur. He did say it was important to prevent migraines, however, and the no one knows what damage, if any, may be done to our brains with these lesions. I must say, I was terrified when I was first diagnosed but I learned to deal with it since nothing changed.
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Teri,
Thanks for your response.I read the articles and they were extremely helpful. I did find out that my EP tests were all normal!Thats a huge relief. I was not clear as to why my doctors confused about my MRI results. He actually is a headache/migraine specialist.He's not sure why the spots on my brain popped up so fast. He is even thinking that it's possibly some sort of issues with the MRI machine or user error. He is reviewing my case over the weekend. I'm suppose to see him next week to see where we go from here. I'll keep you posted...Take Care Theresa...