Hyperintense lesions are patches of damaged cell tissue that show up as bright, white spots in certain types of specialized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. They can occur on most organs, on the brain, and along the spinal cord, and in most cases they don’t cause pain or major problems in and of themselves. They are important primarily because of how useful they are in helping to diagnose or identify the medical condition that is causing them. Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes, and dementia are among the most common, but a wide range of autoimmune and degenerative conditions could be to blame. Sometimes lesions are the first sign that something is amiss, or they could simply confirm what medical professionals already expect to see. They can’t normally be treated individually, but will often subside when the underlying problem is addressed.
Basic Presentation
In most cases hyperintense lesions are bright, glowing patches on MRI scans. They are all but invisible on the surface, so aren’t often detected during surgery, and they don’t usually show up on X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scans, either. In most cases they are quite small, often only the size of a pinprick, though radiologists are usually quick to notice them on scans thanks to their shining contrast.