My recent MRI taken for multiple sclerosis shows no new lesion. Is this a good sign?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com. I have read your question carefully, and I will try to give you a detailed answer. There are several types of multiple sclerosis, more precisely four, 1. The first type is the commonest one, relapsing-remitting, with temporary periods of exacerbation and feeling well between attacks. 2. The second type is secondary progressing, which means that after some time in the first type, the lesions could get the transition in the second type, where symptoms worsen gradually. 3. The third type is not so common, primary progressive when from the beginning, patients have slowly worsening symptoms. 4. The rarest type, progressive relapsing, with slowly worsening symptoms, accompanied by acute exacerbation, with no remission. So, periodic clinical and imaging evaluation should classify the type. In general, conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures do not fully correlate with clinical standards. Said, someone might have more lesions in MRI and feel better than someone who has fewer lesions. In current medical practice, MRI features that correlate more to progression are, accelerated brain volume loss (atrophy), the formation of black holes (permanent damage of axons), which indicates more degeneration. About half of them will go away, providing the sign remyelination. When they remain, it is a sign of permanent scarring. I hope I was clear in my answer. Feel free to ask further questions any time.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com. There is a study where atrophied lesions could be related to neurodegeneration, hence disability and progression. And the research was done with a powerful magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine (3T) that is not possessed and used regularly in everyday clinical practice. But, atrophied brain lesions are very distinct from other disappearing and shrinking lesions, described in your case, which may be related to the beneficial repair. So, I would not worry about your results. However, if you still feel in doubt, I recommend consulting your (neuro) radiologist for a more detailed explanation of your MRI scan. My second (more friendly) recommendation is that google search is very beneficial and trustworthy for more common health problems. I do not recommend any specific issues, especially new studies, where the interpretation of results and terminology is not so easy to understand and use for non-healthcare professionals. It may lead to misunderstanding and unnecessary stress and concern. I hope I answered your question.