Brain scan - what is this??

[brainwaves83]

Hi,

is anyone here familiar with brain anatomy and could possibly help? I know a little but not much It’s regarding a brain MRI- there was a black circular patch behind my cerebellum and I can’t find anything similar on google images. im not worried about it, just curious for my own knowledge as to what it may be. I can post photos of it below if it helps too.

just to clarify- my consultant is reviewing it too and I’ll get results in the coming weeks, but I was sent a copy of the scan for my own interest in the meantime. I’m not trying to self diagnose I’m just fascinated by it all and wondered if anyone knew what it could be.

thanks all!

Main thing is you are getting good care at the hospital. I'm not sure about the black mass buy didn't want to read and run! All the best 💐🌻🌼

Normal parts of brain anatomy can show as black but nobody can tell you anything without seeing the scan and it also totally depends on the pulse sequence/how the mri has been carried out ie. what specifically they are looking for….so I agree generally you are best to wait for your dr. to interpret!!

Ah ok I see, thank you (and thank you to the previous commenter too!)

im definitely going to need to be more patient waiting. I’m not even worried about it I’m just genuinely really interested in it and find it all fascinating! I hadn’t even realised there was so many aspects of it (pulse sequence etc!) so I’ve learned something new!

I’ll post a photo of it below in the off chance anyone knows anything about MRIs etc whilst waiting for the doc😊

That’s the photos there!

Usually means a brain lesion

Generalising somewhat

Please wait until you see your doctor, don't let people who watched every episode of Casualty and fancy themselves the expert take a guess at what it could be.

👍

I definitely will 👍🏻 I just find it all quite interesting! I’m not worried as anything urgent would have meant I’d be contacted already. I just find it all really cool and it’s mad to thank that’s what my brain looks like! Just thought I’d ask out of interest here in case there was any people in the know about :)

I agree you should wait until you see your GP.

Even if there was anyone on these boards who has the qualifications to tell you what these scans mean they would be constrained by medical ethics to do so.

It is all very interesting. I have been through many brain scans myself and love the whole aspect of them and actually seeing the scan. I give a somewhat general answer from what I know from experience, but one of the other posters didn't seem to happy with it 🤔. Oh well..

What was the reason for the mri?

Your answer (and everyone’s) was helpful!

I know some people use MN for medical questions and I suppose that’s what I’m doing in a way, but it’s just because I’m really interested in it rather than worried IYSWIM

My son was suffering terrible headaches, acting a bit odd and drowsy. From the ambulance to getting to hospital to CT scan and then MRI - it was all acted upon incredibly fast due to a brain tumour. Benign and operated on as an emergency. 4 years ago. He’s since had yearly MRI and I still cant make head nor tail of them!

You are correct, any major concerns you’d have been contacted already.

This bit? It’s the confluence of sinuses.

Lesions aren’t black. Black is no signal - so often air, which has no signal, cartilage- when the signal drops too quickly to be captured or turbulent blood - where the signal has moved before it is captured.

Meant to say this ?? Helpful if I remember the pic

Air shows up as black on a scan

I had a scan for recurrent migraines and there was a large black area at the back that that neurologist laughingly told me was “a bit of brain missing”! Apparently it would have been there since birth. My loving family think it’s hilarious. Fingers crossed all ok OP

Oh, that’s really interesting! Thanks for explaining. (And everyone else who explained too!) it’s mad to think that’s what it looks like inside my skull!

Apologies- another question! The bottom part of my cerebellum doesn’t look too far down does it? Again, im honestly not worried about it! More just curious. We have a family member with Chiari so I know a little about it so it’s interesting to me, but thankfully mine doesn’t look like it’s coming down does it?

And the little white circle part in the centre, that’s the pituitary gland isn’t it? And beside it is the brainstem (medulla I think?) that’s about the extent of my brain knowledge, lol.

Hopefully you'll have some answers soon from your consultant. But I will say, if it is a growth of some sort, being on the outside instead of internally in the brain will be in your favour as it'll be easier and safer to reach if you do need any surgery. There are many benign things it could be and it may or may not need surgery. Your doctor will have all of the answers you need. Best of luck to you.

Lesions can be black actually. There are different types. Maybe you're talking about white matter lesions and it also depends on the type of MRI, as they can show up as dark or light

Really interesting. Think you’ve lost a bit of your brain or your full of hot air 😂