Recently the New England Journal of Medicine has reported that a Dutch Study has found that one in sixty people may be walking around with benign brain tumors, and not have any idea.  The results come from the new Dutch study that finds that these brain abnormalities are not uncommon.

Most of the abnormalities found had not caused any symptoms, but, they were potentially life threatening.  How alarming is this? 

 Some doctors have said that the brain scan or MRI’s of the head haven’t been proven to be valuable.  Most physicians do not recommend routine MRIs to look for brain problems, although they do recommend mammograms and colonoscopies. 

This study showed that over seven percent of the participants in the study were found to have had some dead brain tissue.  Dead brain tissue is caused by a loss of blood flow.  These are sometimes called silent strokes because they don’t usually result in a loss of speech or motion.  It would be very scary to find out that you had a silent stroke, and be unaware that it took place.  You are more likely to have another more serious stroke if you have had a silent stroke in the past.  Medications and other preventative measures are available and are viable options if the patient has already been diagnosed with having had a silent stroke.

Aneurysms, bulging blood vessels, are another reason why having an MRI done is so important.  Blood vessels that burst can cause serious strokes.  Even benign tumors can kill if they grow and shut down vital brain functions. Doctors sometimes treat these, or do annual MRI scans to watch for signs of growth.    It’s not clear how alarming this is, but it definitely is food for thought for anyone who may have a family history strokes.

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New England Journal: http://nejm.org

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