Small vessel ischemic changes

disabled_NCIS_fan

I am 22 years old and the other day got a call from my neurologist. On top of everything else I am dealing with my MRI showed small vessel ischemic changes (I think that is how it is spelled) To be honest I am a little confused. I have googled but I am confused. Does anyone know exactly what it is?

DomRavioli

Small vessel ischemic changes" (also known as "small vessel disease" or "microvascular disease") is medical jargon for fact that there is evidence of old strokes on the imaging study (whether head CT or MRI). These are commonly found on MRIs in people in their 60's and older--even if they have never actually noticed stroke symptoms. A lot of these tiny strokes occur in parts of the brain that don't produce any physical symptoms; or they may have produced symptoms that were so mild, the person never thought much of them. "Small vessel ischemic changes" may represent new or old strokes. If the MRI report does not say "acute strokes" or "restricts diffusion," then chances are they are old strokes. The things that classically cause such strokes are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking. Those are the most common. Migraine headaches can cause similar lesions. There are other less common stroke risk factors that can lead to such lesions; but the four aforementioned are far and away the most common. These lesions themselves can do no more harm. But they indicate that modifications to stroke risk factors need to occur to reduce the risk of having a stroke that may cause significant symptoms (such as weakness or difficulty speaking). In general, when I as a stroke neurologist see these in my patients, I will do a workup to look at their heart function, blood pressure control, cholesterol, blood sugar control, etc.; and if they smoke, I encourage them and try to help them quit smoking. If appropriate, I will start them on a blood thinning medication such as aspirin to help reduce the risk of future strokes.

Parva

blopipe wrote: »

The time has come to sort out my funeral arrangements LOL

I have Peripheral Arterial Disease in both legs and if I had a £1 for everytime my GP and Vascular Consultant has read me the 'riot act' I would be a very rich person by now.

Of course these things don't help with any vascular problem, but if I was to do what I was told my life would be so restricted there would be no point in carrying on.

So I continue to smoke 20 a day, take my Clopidogrel, Aspirin and Rosuvastatin as well as my Rapid-acting and Long-acting insulin. At least I have a life, even though it may be shortened.

I'm glad your DLA is helping to fund those 20 a day Andy, the sooner you shuffle off this mortal coil the less the strain (and grief) on genuine people will be.

Brassedoff

disabled_NCIS_fan wrote: »

I am 22 years old and the other day got a call from my neurologist. On top of everything else I am dealing with my MRI showed small vessel ischemic changes (I think that is how it is spelled) To be honest I am a little confused. I have googled but I am confused. Does anyone know exactly what it is?

OP, you will find over a period of five-six weeks, you should get a referral back to either a Neurosurgion and Neurological specialist. Despite what blowpipe said to you, you can get TIA's for a number of things. I started to have a closing of vision in my left eye picked up by my Optition six months ago. I was referred to an eye specialist who sent me for a CT & MRI. He picked up the TIA and I was referred back to my Neurosurgeon who is treating my other problems. He now tells me I had my TIA's during my last major operation. The general anastetic did it.

I have a few more tests etc, but he said as it was a minor strokes I needed to take it just easier and thst they are really different to the major strokes. He said most people never know they've had a TIA,

blopipe wrote: »

The time has come to sort out my funeral arrangements LOL

I have Peripheral Arterial Disease in both legs and if I had a £1 for everytime my GP and Vascular Consultant has read me the 'riot act' I would be a very rich person by now.

Of course these things don't help with any vascular problem, but if I was to do what I was told my life would be so restricted there would be no point in carrying on.

So I continue to smoke 20 a day, take my Clopidogrel, Aspirin and Rosuvastatin as well as my Rapid-acting and Long-acting insulin. At least I have a life, even though it may be shortened.

So your problems are self inflicted? I do hope when PIP comes out you do lose it on thst basis alone. I have never smoked by how much is a pack now £7? and you can still afford to do it? My, my you must be loaded and don't need your DLA & ESA

disabled_NCIS_fan

Thanks for replying. It is really confusing but thanks for helping explaining it to me. I know I have to have blood tests but beyond that I am not sure what happens next. He mentioned that a cause could be my migraines, mine are hemiplegic (I think you spell it like that) I guess now I will wait and see what happens.