MRI Interpretation Help Please

mabelank · New User Joined: 13 Apr 2009 Posts: 6

Hi!

My husband was operated with a pre-diagnosis of low grade glioma on April 3rd 2009. We could not get a good pathology report though, only one sentence that indicates areas of gliosis. So he remains without any certain diagnosis but the surgeon thinks that the MRI is typical for low grade glioma. We are still waiting for the results of his second MRI after surgery but here is what was written on his first MRI report taken one and a half month after surgery. Can anyone interpret this please?

"In supratentorial series, hemorrhagic lesion surounded with edema and gliosis areas, chronic hemorrhage residues without signal, of nearly 2 cm diameter, characterized with hyperintense appearance in T1 and T2 weighted series is found in the anterior part of left temporal lobe. Since the lesion is T1 weighted and hyperintense, optimal assessment could not be made after contrasting with parmagnetic contrast media injection. Cortical thickening due to possible edema is seen in left temporal lobe anterior part and insular cortex. No contrasting is seen in this localization after paramagnetic contrast media injection. Gray white matter signal dispersion of white cerebral hemisphere is homogenous and normal."

Thank you so much in advance and sorry if my translation is bad!!
Fatma

justAdad · Regular Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 17

Number one...you should call the doctor and ask him to review this with you in terms you can understand. Don't let them throw big words at you and leave the room. If you don't understand something...ask him to clarify it.

Now to my interpretation: In literal terms, there is lesion (damaged area) surrounded by fluid and a collection of cells (gliosis). The entire area is a little less than an inch in diameter. The normal means of identifying what the mass were not successful so they could not indicate what the mass is.

They use a couple of scary words. First, the use of the term "lesion" does not automatically mean "tumor." A lesion is a damaged area. Then there is gliosis. Gliosis is generally a result of injury. A surgery can cause such injury.

So...this MRI has only identified that there is a damaged area. It does not conclude that there is a tumor. Only with the rest of the data can a clear diagnosis be made. Be sure to question the doctor until you completely understand how he/she comes to their diagnosis.

Please understand that I am not a doctor and my interpretation is that of a layman. Good luck to you.

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