Concerned Parent

Hello. I am so glad that I have found this forum, and I pray that someone out there can help me understand all of this. My daughter is 13 years old, and has hypothyroidism. Last year she started having some dizziness, but along with this symptom, she was also hearing like screehing sounds in her head (she said it sounded like tires burning rubber in her head). I took her to the ER where a CT of the brain was performed, and it was normal. The ER Dr. referred us to an ENT, and everything there was normal. She was then referred to a neurolgist. In the meantime she was put on Antivert to help with the dizziness. While waiting to get into the neurologist, my husband lost his job, and of course this meant we lost insurance as well. Her symptoms had subsided and were not as bad as the initial incident, and since we did not have insurance, I did not keep the appointment with the neurolgist. Now, almost a year later her spells have started again. This time she is not having the sounds in her head, but she is having the dizziness along with headache (after the dizziness subsides she gets a headache). Her menstrual cycle has also ceased since January. We did go see the neurolgist yesterday, and he has ordered an MRI of her brain and pituatary. Have any of you all experienced these symptoms with a pituatary tumor? I am just very concerned after reading some of the information abotu pituatary tumors, as she seems to have many of the symptoms. I appreciate any insight that you may be able to give me on this!

[rumpled]

The pituitary would interfere with the cycle. Headaches are also associated with pituitary tumors. If they are looking for a pituitary tumor, then the scan should be done with and without contrast and the technique should be *dynamic* in that they should take images while the person is in the machine. That way they can detect tumors by seeing the changes in uptake of the contrast. One of my tumors hid for 12 years until I had a scan like this.

When I first had mine, I also had some dizziness and had to take antivert etc. but it was also found that I had meniere's - which is a separate issue, not related to pituitary and not common with it. But it just goes to show you that you can have more than one issue going on.

If you have the pituitary tumor, she needs to see a pituitary specialist - a neuro-endocrinoligst.  A normal endo often cannot handle pituitary stuff. I also had to see a specialist ENT for the meniere's!

[pme47634]

Thanks for your response. She did have the MRI done today with and without contrast, so hopefully we will hear something from the neurologist tomorrow. If not, I will be calling them cause the waiting will drive me crazy.

[pme47634]

Well, the MRI was normal for the brain and pituatary. I am relieved, but still confused as to why she is having all of these symptoms....no period, dizziness, headache. She has an appointment on Monday with the Family Dr. so I guess I will have to see what the next step is.

[rumpled]

Was the pituitary scan dynamic? Get a copy - you usually are entitled to one from the doctor, if not get one from the place where you had it done and find out. Get a copy of the scan on CD so others can look at it - often if a radiologist misses it, a surgeon can see it.

Odds are if they did the brain and pituitary, it was not - and small lesions may not appear. Also radiologists may miss this - up to 40% are missed. It can fall between the 3mm slices of a normal MRI anyway and even a tumor that small can do things.

Have you seen an endocrinogist to get any testing - LH, FSH estradiol, testosterones, dhea sulfate... as well as other hormones - so many things can effect periods - thyroids, cortisol...

[testdeprived]

rumpled i  going for my mri very soon, i just wanna make sure i get this down EXACTLY.

im gonna ask to go to st barnabas in livingston nj. i want a 3t dynamic mri scan of the pituitary w/wo contrast?

is that right? it sounds like youre saying dont get the rest of the brain also?

[rumpled]

Ah, hijacking another thread...
They do everything, but concentrate on the pituitary.

[testdeprived]

how a i hijacking? it fits in to the discussion? anyway is that correct?

[testdeprived]

so i guess if you dont get a strictly pit mri then you will not get an accurate photo?

[horselip]

Hiya-
How did the appt go on Monday? I was wondering if your doctor brought up the idea of referring your daughter to a neuroendocrinologist? Her symptoms sure sound Pituitary to me? The pituitary gland makes hormones that tell the thyroid, ovaries, liver, adrenals etc what to do. If those signals are not getting out from the pituitary gland for some reason your daughter would have issues with her cycles and thyroid. She may even have growth hormone deficiency. So while the proper type of MRI is important, lab tests and a good intake about her actual symptoms are also very important. Rumpled has pretty much said all of this but I just wanted to make sure that things didn't get too jumbled up.
~Horsey

[testdeprived]

what are the stars?