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What If Your Brain MRI Scan Is Abnormal?

An abnormal brain MRI may suggest a number of possibilities, but it does not automatically suggest serious illness. After the MRI, the radiologist will read the report and may recommend other imaging studies or a biopsy to better explain the abnormality and severity. 

Abnormal

In Wilson disease signal changes in basal ganglia is usually seen secondary to hepatic failure.Nonetheless, abnormal MRI findings include findings which are bilateral high signal weighted abnormalities in the basal ganglia especially putamen, caudate head, ventral thalamus, dentate nucleus of the brainstem, cerebellum, focal cortical atrophy and atrophy of the cerebral white matter. In this patient, hepatic failure was not observed, and the age was not otherwise typical for the neurological presentation of Wilson disease.

Symmetric basal ganglia involvement is pathognomonic neuroimaging finding that is seen in some neurometabolic disorders, particularly mitochondrial and organic acidemia.  Additionally, infantile bilateral striatal necrosis should be a consideration in differential diagnosis when the biochemical study of neurometabolic disorders was unremarkable.

One is insidious and the majority of these cases are associated with mitochondrial disorders. The second has an acute encephalopathy presentation and often follows a febrile illness typically complexed with nausea and vomiting.

Abnormal mean 

When an MRI report says something is ‘abnormal’ this means that the radiologist observer saw findings not typical or normal for that specific part of the body examined. It should be noted that ‘abnormal’ is a generic term in the medical context and does not itself imply that something serious or life threatening is present.

MRI findings that are assessed as abnormal can be anything from insignificant incidental little cysts or benign lesions to much bigger things like tumors, prior strokes, structural changes, inflammation or swelling. 

An abnormal MRI found

The reasons for abnormal findings on a brain MRI are many. Brain tumors, benign or malignant, can be seen as abnormal masses on imaging. A prior history of stroke may leave behind areas of damage that will appear as abnormal signals or simply a loss of normal brain architecture Multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating disorder, will show multiple scattered locations affected in the white matter of the brain.

which are essentially bruises of the brain, can happen with trauma and can appear as white matter edema or bleeding. Infections such as abscesses, or encephalitis can appear as abnormal signal changes in the setting of inflammation and edema. There can also be structural changes, congenital or acquired, which can affect what the tissue looks like on the MRI.

Abnormal MRI mean for you 

White matter hyperintensities are a frequently observed incidental result of brain MRIs, more frequently seen in older individuals.is described as increased signal intensity in the white matter of the brain as a result of dysregulated blood flow, inflammation, or demyelination which are the likely physiological causes. 

WMH will generally occur with elective aging and vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia can be seen in disease processes such as multiple sclerosis or other inflammatory etiologies. In regards to clinical significance the effects may vary and many individuals are asymptomatic.

The next step

Subsequent steps after an abnormal MRI will depend on what you discovered, the nature and severity of what you discovered.Your doctor will discuss your results with you, go over what was discovered and what that may mean for your health. 

Based on what you discovered, your doctor may recommend additional imaging CT scan, or MRI with contrast to further characterize what was discovered. If what you discovered is minor or incidental, your physician may just recommend monitoring over time, and not an immediate intervention.

Don’t worry

You have every reason to feel anxious when told your MRI is abnormal. But it is important to understand that many of the abnormal findings do not require intervention, as they are benign. The MRI is a powerful imaging mechanism, providing images of the internal body in an unprecedented detail, but it’s only one part of the equation.

Conclusion

By allowing for uncertain or ambiguous results on an MRI, an abnormal MRI has a nice way to give you the information that some aspect of your anatomy was not normal or desires consideration without automatically leading you to a major concern of serious pathology. There are many possible explanations and the significance of the findings that are abnormal can only be assessed using the background of your overall health. Your doctor will initially take you through this process using your overall health pattern, over several appointments, with the goal of determining the next steps that may simply be more testing, treatment, or coming back in like a year to see how it has changed if at all. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What does an abnormal MRI of the brain mean?

An abnormal brain MRI means that the MRI showed signs that differ from the accepted normal structure and function of the brain. 

Q. What happens if MRI results are bad?

The abnormality can represent many things including change, growth tumor, inflammation,altered anatomy, or any number of other things.

Q. What can go wrong with a brain MRI?

Brain MRI scans are generally safe, however they do bring some risk, particularly due to the magnetic field, potential for adverse reactions to the contrast dye, claustrophobia, and minor risk of artefacts from the imaging.

Q. Can MRI detect brain cell damage?

Yes, a magnetic resonance imaging test (MRI) can detect brain cell damage. MRI is a great diagnostic imaging tool to provide detailed images of the brain and to help healthcare.

Q. What is the cost of a brain MRI scan in Delhi, NCR?

In Delhi, the price of a brain MRI scan can be anywhere between 4000 INR – 6000 INR, and this also depends on other price-affecting factors per center. For further information contact 

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