What does this mean

[cluvit25]

Note from Neuro...MRI is within normal limits for your diagnosed condition. Will discuss at next appointment. What is he talking about....Is it normal in the MS range, or do I not have MS? Has anyone else been told this?

[derrie]

Do you know what "diagnosed condition" your neurologist is referring to? Has he or she diagnosed you with anything? A little more information might help folks around here help you decipher that note.

[Good Jennie]

Hey cluvit,

I'm sorry you got a less than helpful note from your doctor. If I were to have received the same note I think I would be feeling very frustrated. With regards to what it means, I could guess but there's no way to be totally certain.

I'm going to assume that you have been diagnosed with MS but you are not being followed for any other neurological disease/disorder. If that is true, then "within normal limits" most likely means some scarring (MS plaques) but not an extensive amount. If you have RRMS, then I would also think that you do not have an increased number of spots (you may have some new ones, but some of the old ones might have disappeared also). If you have progressive disease, then you probably have an increased number of spots--but in proportion to the change in your symptoms.

I think your Neuro was most likely trying to say something that would be reassuring but not too detailed, because as the doc said you have an upcoming appointment where you can talk about it in as much detail as you need to.

Does that help? I hope so!
-Jennie

[Redwings]

Hi cluvit25:

Whatever your "diagnosed condition" is (I'm assuming it's MS because you're in an MS forum), your doctor mixed up his terminology. In medicine, "within normal limits" means normal or "without pathology." If he had said something like "within expected limits" or "as expected" for your condition, that might have made some kind of sense. But to use a term that means "without pathology" to mean "without pathology for your diagnosed condition" (which is pathology) is a contradiction. There's no way to know what he meant without asking him.

I'm going to guess he meant that your MRI looks as might be expected for your condition (MS?). But that's awfully sloppy terminology. If he meant that you don't have MS, you'd have to have already discussed what that "diagnosed condition" is in order for his note to make sense. It looks like you'll have to wait to "discuss at next appointment."

[cluvit25]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm assuming he was looking at the MS diagnosis, but I'm not sure at this point. Guess I'll just have to wait until Wednesday to see what is going on. The waiting game is so frustrating.

[onlyairfare]

Sounds to me like the doctor wanted to let you know there were no ugly surprises on your MRI rather than letting you twist in the wind until your appointment. That's assuming you are diagnosed with MS, and the MRI shows "the usual" for MS, no major changes since your last MRI.