Does this sound like something serious to you?

[electra]

My mum passed out today in M&S, having had 'visual disturbances'. She went to hospital and had a cut head as a result. They did an MRI and said that she had something they are 'not sure about'

Her behaviour has been a bit unusual for years and on holiday recently with me was particularly unusual. Should we be worried? I think maybe I shouldn't google this.

Hi Electra.

Don't google it.

Could be nothing. Could be something. Impossible to diagnose, as you know, over the interweb. Googling will just just throw up all manner of nonsense from the imaginations of wannabe House's and some scary possibilities that may well bear no relation to your mums actual condition.

Presumably, given the results of her MRI (the 'not sure about') they are going to refer her on to a neurologist ?

A&E docs are good, don't get me wrong, but the MRI needs to be reviewed by someone who is a specialist in these things and knows exactly what they are looking at in order to clarify what the 'not sure' actually is and if it is of clinical concern.

For example, focal migraines can throw up the symptoms your mum has experienced (no pain, although sometimes there can be) but lots of visual disturbance and these can show up on with certain imaging patterns on MRI and CT scans but are not necessarily something that an A&E doc would recognise immediately, whereas a neurologist would.

Thanks NDP, I think they have referred her to a neurologist, yes. I suppose we will have to wait and see what happens now. Thanks for your knowledgeable words.

I guess the reason I'm most worried is that she blacked out and that has never happened to her in her life.