Monday, January 5, 2009

May I have the envelope, please

After much stress and more than one sleepless night on my part, we did get the results today of Mandy's MRI.

For the medical geeks out there, the official report reads

Impression:
Stable abnormal MRI and MR orbits as compared with prior study without new abnormality as identified below.

Findings:
Multiplanar MRI of the brain and orbits was performed prior to and following the administration of intravenous contrast material, read in correlation with the prior MRI dating back to 11/05/08.

As compared with the prior study, there has been no significant interval change.

Left parietal lesion is unchanged with extensive myelin vacuolization again identified medial basal ganglia bilaterally, faintly within the thalami bilaterally as well as within the brain stem including the mid brain and pons extending into the medulla and cerebellar white matter.

There is once again prominence of the optic nerves bilaterally consistent with optic glioma involving the intraorbital segments in this patient with history of neurofibromatosis with mild ectasia of the optic nerve sheathes again noted.

No new orbital or intercranial abnormality is otherwise presently seen.

For the lay folks out there

The scan is essentially unchanged.

Myelin vacuolization is a common anomaly seen in NF patients. It basically means there are holes in the sheath surrounding the nerves and is for the most part inconsequential. There are some studies that think it could be something more significant, but they are far from proven.

We still wish we knew what the area in the left parietal lobe was. I will talk to her neuro-oncologist next appointment, but I would assume we are still just assuming it is another low grade glioma and are treating it with the chemo she is already on. That was the assumption last time, I would expect that to remain unchanged.

Optic Glioma is unchanged from last scan, but remember, from the first scan to the November scan(almost 9 months of treatment) we saw a 10% reduction, so the process is very slow.

So, all in all, a stable scan and no new monsters. So, that's good. Chemo keeps trudging on.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

Love to all~

2 comments:

Jennifer Lehmann said...

After the past week (not that I wouldn't anyway) but I am totally happy dancing to that news! Although it could be better, stable is fantastic.

♥.Trish.♥ Drumboys said...

I will keep Mandy in my prayers.I have NF1 , so does my little boy 2.
It truly breaks my heart to read her story.
Stable is fanastic.
Several members of my family have NF1 - all of us have had various degrees of minor surgery and some major.

My cousin now 24 had a sinle optic glioma when she was 2 - she had it removed (that was what they did 20 yrs ago) - she can't see from that eye but had no further problems.

My little boy has checkups every few months for his eyes.

(hugs) I hope you auction and fundraising goes well.