Diagnosed with Trigeminal neuralgia. Spots on brain, constant numbness in fingers, intermittent overactive bladder problems. Reason?
Patient: Hi, I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia of the lower left branch in 2008. My first mri showed 2 spots on my brain bilaterally but my neurologist said he couldn t diagnose ms at the time. The spots are very symmetrical in nature he said. My thumb and index finger have had constant numbness for a few years now but I thought it was due to an old injury. I also have intermittent overactive bladder problems. I m on medications and have had several procedures for my trigeminal neuralgia. I ve had a few instances in the past where I had trouble walking when I stood up to go into the bathroom at night, but that was attributed to medication problems. My newest mri says There are a few scattered nonspecific white matter changes noted within the cerebral hemispheres bilaterally. While nonspecific, white matter changes can be seen with demyelinating processes or small vessel ischemic change among others. Do I need to worry that this could be ms? I am 42 years old and 38 when the tn started. Thank you Doctor: Hi,  Thank you for posting your query.  First of all, I would like to reassure you that your MRI findings are most likely not suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS).  As noted, white matter lesions in the brain can be caused by various conditions, including migraine.  There are specific locations of white matter lesions in MS, so, the chances of you having MS is quite low.  Best wishes, Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) Senior Consultant Neurologist