mri with contrast and aneurysms

[zigs87]

Hi guys,
I'm really worried by some symptoms I've been experiencing including monocular double vision or ghosting vision and loud ringing in my ears. I've had an MRI done with and without contrast dye which was clear and am wondering if that is enough to find an aneurysm? I've made another appt with my neurologist to demand an MRA but in the meantime is there any reassurance to be had from the contrast MRI i had done?
Thanks so much in advance
xx

[Catinahat68]

When I was hospitalized after a stroke (caused by an aneurysm) the initial scan the hospital conducted was a CAT (or CT head scan) Apparently this showed there was bleeding in my brain so then they ordered the MRI and MRA which confirmed the cause as being a dissected carotid aneurysm. Hopefully, because the MRI has come back clear, that should in theory be reassuring... however, I have heard of some pretty major brain events being missed on some scans, if yr instincts tell you something isnt right, get it checked until you are completely satisfied that everything that can be done, is being done. Good luck

[crazycow]

Hello there zigs87,

Just wondering if you had your MRA in the end?

[zigs87]

Maybe something showed up on the MRI? Hence them sending you for an MRA, doctors don't usually go down the MRA route do they. Either way that's really scared me that I could still have one. I'm definitley going to demand an MRA!

[crwstar]

You know, it was.  The very first MRI I had was done with dye and that's when they found the tumor. There was no mention of an aneurysm and from there they had me go back for another MRI to focus on the pituitary and also did a MRA. It was the MRA that found the annie and thus far none of my MRI's have come back saying anything about a annie.....I'm glad to know that MRI's can pick them up. It is interesting the differences in our experiences. It definitely speaks to people advocating for themselves when they feel something mores going on even if it doesn't show up on a test. I'm grateful my nuerologist requested an MRA.....She took the next step necessary to find this thing.  

[zigs87]

crwstar.. was your mri scan done with contrast dye injected or not? Because i think thi smakes quite a big difference.

[crwstar]

This is definitely helpful!! ......I didn't realize annies could be picked up by MRI, thought they had to be rather large...good to know.

I haven't had a CTA yet. How was that? That's the next test I'm suppose to get in Oct.

[kys58]

My aneursym was orginally picked up on a MRI, my doctor then ordered a CTA of the brain to verify that it was an aneurysm. The CTA looks at the arteries in the brain and can clearly show the location, type and size. I hope this helps.

[crwstar]

I'm sorry I don't know if MRI's can pick up aneurysms or not. Guessing they'd have to be pretty big to do so. I can only speak from my experience.....it was the MRA and not the MRI that picked up on my aneurysm. Even with recent MRI's it would not have picked on the annie.

How long have you been experiencing symptoms? I literally had to make a case to my doctor to get and MRI and it was the specialist (neurologist) who requested another MRI along with an MRA because they had infact found something. A pituitary tumor.

I wish you luck in your search.