Ischemia

[Guest kaj]

On my mom's ct report, it said that she had chronic periventricular ischemia??? Is this bad??? I looked it up in the medical dictionary but I am not sure what it all really means in relationship to the function of the brain. Does it go away??? Will it be there forever??? Does it cause mortality??? Anyone know anything???

Help please

[Guest kaj]

I neglected to say that this was caused from her ruptured aneurysm.

[Karen]

Hi,

Sorry, but I'm afraid that I just don't know.....

There are some specialist brain and spine nurses on this site : http://brainandspine.org.uk/ it might be worth posing the question to them.

[Guest Clare]

Ok, Chronic Periventricular Ischemia. :?

This I dont think is a specific problem it's a description of a problem, therefore it's not in a medical book.

Chronic means a persistant and lasting medical condition.

Periventricular means area's within the brain which surround the ventricles, the ventricles carry contain the nerves which carry messages from the brain to the muscles.

Ischemia can affect any organ and means a restriction in blood supply normally cause by a problem in the blood vessels. If this lasts for more than a few hours then necrosis will occur, which is basically death of cells because they are not getting any oxygen from new blood.

So add all of these together and I would be pretty sure that it means (but dont quote me I'm no MD);

Lasting damage to the area of the brain which controls muscles and movement, due to the blood not being able to reach it. It's basically a medical professionals way of saying the part of the brain which allowed her mobility has been damaged because there is a lack of blood supply. What I'm not sure of is if, by chronic, they mean the blood still can't get there or, it's lasting damage as a result of a temporary restriction.

I'm pretty sure it would be the latter.

And as you know this is not necessarily written in stone, as the brain can and does make new pathways.

Hope this helps

Clare x

[Guest kaj]

Well if that is what it means then I am not going to worry about it. She is moving just fine. Her right side has a little more problem than her left but she can move everything even when you ask her. The doctor told my dad something about the blood or oxygen, (I can't remember which one) is starting to flow through the damaged cells and that is why she is getting better. It sounds like it makes sense. Thanks, How did you know all that????? Maybe you should think about being a MD

Gratefully, Kim

[Guest Clare]

It probably referred to damage to some of the ventricles, therefore only one side would be affected, and is very common I presume.

Which is why a stroke will sometimes only affect one side of the body. My mum had a weakness in one side more than the other which rectified itself quickly.

How did I know all that?

Well when mum got ill I scoured the internet for information, and read medical studies and articles, I have done this with all sorts of illnesses in the family. Sometimes I even hear about something I will look it up just out of interest. When I don't understand a word, I wll look it up individually. I'm quite interested in the human body, and my brain just kind of absorbs everything I read about.

[rince]

I'm going to have a moan..... Why can't the doctors explain that as well as we've just had on here? I know that they have to use jargon with each other but when it comes to relatives why can't they spell it out? Are they afraid of being wrong? Are they hiding behind latin words?

I was lucky and had both a Neuro Consultant and Specialist Nurse who didn't feel the need to either hide or over complicate. It's when I hear of others' experiences that I realise how lucky I was.

Scott

[Guest kaj]

Yes, I agree. At least I can go on the internet and look around or ask for help but my poor father gets so confused. He relies on me to interpret for him. Most of the time I can but not always.

Kim

[Guest Clare]

When mum was ill every doctor i spoke to seemed to find it really hard to relay the information to laymen.

I think because they're all so consumed in medicine it's their life because they spend so much time working, socialising with other medical professionals and their partners are usually always medically minded, they forogt how to talk to HUMANS

Although saying that, Hannah and I share the same neurologist for our screening and he's quite blunt and spookily normal.

They may not talk english, but they do a ****** good job nevertheless.

[rince]

Part of their "job" is to communicate to the patients and the relatives. If they can't do this then at least some one should. It comes down not to being used to talking on a "higher level" but to being able to get the basic facts to people. Yes the majority do a superb job and we are very lucky to have the NHS in this country, but it costs nothing to talk.

Scott

[Guest kaj]

I am going to get a copy of her record from the first hospital so I can look through them. I want to know the details about where it ruptured and which way it ruptured. I was told if it ruptured toward the brain stem then it is worse. I hope that is not the case. She is still confused. She doesn't know what is happening around her or what happened to her. She isn't clear enough to know when she has to go to the bathroom. I hope this changes soon.