Can MS lesions be mistaken for stroke?
Two very different conditions, but they can look and feel alike. That’s because they both harm your brain. The symptoms of MS and strokes can be close enough that even doctors don’t always get it right. It’s important to know the difference.
Can MS present like a stroke?
People with MS may experience symptoms, including numbness or weakness in the limbs, tremors, and lack of coordination. However, some of the symptoms have similarities to other debilitating conditions, including stroke and migraine.
Is a lesion the same as a stroke?
Cerebral infarction: Infarction refers to death of tissue. A cerebral infarction, or stroke, is a brain lesion in which a cluster of brain cells die when they don’t get enough blood.
Do lesions on the brain always mean MS?
An “average” number of lesions on the initial brain MRI is between 10 and 15. However, even a few lesions are considered significant because even this small number of spots allows us to predict a diagnosis of MS and start treatment.
Can MS mimic a mini stroke?
Multiple sclerosis mimicking stroke Living with multiple sclerosis can make spotting a stroke more challenging because early warning signs of a stroke present themselves as a multiple sclerosis flare-up.
How do MS lesions appear on MRI?
MS-related lesions appear on MRI images as either bright or dark spots, depending on the type of MRI used. This imaging technique is useful because it shows active inflammation and helps doctors determine the age of the lesions. Also, some specific types of lesion can indicate a flare-up of MS or damage in the brain.
Is a brain lesion the same as a brain tumor?
Broadly speaking, brain lesions consist of certain types of damage to the tissues of the brain. Trauma to the head, certain health conditions, and tumors (malignant or benign) are all considered brain lesions.
Can you have brain lesions and not have MS?
About 5 percent of people who are confirmed to have MS do not initially have brain lesions evidenced by MRI. However, the longer a person goes without brain or spinal cord lesions on MRI, the more important it becomes to look for other possible diagnoses.
Can Tia be mistaken for MS?
Paroxysmal symptoms are unusual manifestations of multiple sclerosis (MS). When presented as the first clinical manifestation, paroxysmal symptoms may easily be mistaken for transient ischemic attack (TIA). Previously, several cases of MS that reported with paroxysmal symptoms were misdiagnosed as TIA.