My dsis's MRI shows Demyelination

[Bananamanfan]

Dsis has received a letter today with the results of her latest MRI scan. It shows "demyelination" she has googled it and thinks that she almost certainly has MS. She is distraught

She has phoned the clinic to speak to a consultant, but no one has called her back. Several years ago; she was seriously ill with viral encephalitis, spending 2 months in hospital and a couple of years of recovery.

Would the demyelination be a result of encephalitis rather than undiagnosed MS? She has had several health problem since being ill and the prospect of MS has made her feel that she has nothing left to live for.

My own Googling leads me to believe that it is quite likely to be a result of encephalitis and 2 months + of being bedridden. I would be so grateful for an expert opinion.

Demyelination is not specific to MS. You can sometimes see demyelination on scans of perfectly healthy people. MS has to be multiple episodes of inflammation. So - it depends a lot on the story and comparison with previous scans.

This is a living nightmare, compounded by Dr Google. Has DSis had the opportunity to discuss with her consultant yet?

They will have seen the MRI and have a much better clinical picture of what the pathology is. They will also be used to dealing with patients in anxious states. (Anxiety is no good for her, but you know that already!).

The consultant told her over the phone that it seems likely that she has MS. She has an appointment with him today. From reading an article on the encephalitis society site & speaking to them on phone; i think ADEM seems more likely, given her history, than MS. She will be having a lumbar puncture& the literature suggests that MS & ADEM can be differentiated.
Thank you for the replies.

Wishing DSis all the best