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Importance of MS Protocol MRI?!....
Hi everyone! I had my first "MS protocol" MRI on Monday Feb 18th.....I posted some of the scan pics to my photo page...I also attached a web address to one of my pics for comparison...
I KNOW I am no radiologist or neurologist, AND I DID NOT get the results OR hear from my MS neuro. My appointment is March 26th.
What concerns me is this.....I have had SEVERAL Brain MRI's in the past....going back to 1993...when I had my first attack. My last regular brain MRI...."before the Protocol MRI on Monday" was Sept last year in the midst of a bad "relapse/attack"......
My MRI's always were reported as "normal"....
The one in Sept was reported as normal UNTIL my neuro saw "lesions' on my brainstem. He then sent me to an MS specialist who dx me with PROBABLE MS due to lesions ONLY in my brainstem and my clinical exam. (He was mad because I wasn't given an MS protocol MRI) He told me to have the MS MRI in 5-6 months which brings me to NOW......
After the MS protocol MRI on Monday, I asked for a copy of the CD....(I have looked at all my MRI scans before)
I was SHOCKED to see so many "bright" spots/lesions! The contrast part of the MRI didn't upload onto the disc. The scans that were "flair" are the ones I uploaded. There are many more pics that are "questionable" (not obvious to me but could be something)
I uploaded a web address under one of my MRI pics that has a scan pic of a person with definate MS....(mine is almost identical!!)
******What I am trying to say here is************Why did the MS protocol MRI show all these "spots" and no other MRI I have had in the past show this??? I have had up's and down's the last few months, but I don't believe all these "areas" are new since Sept!.
I am not in the medical field in any way....I am just a very frustrated patient who has been waiting a long time for a definate diagnosis of some kind!! All I KNOW is I have NEVER seen "spots/lesions" on my brain before..NONE, not even questionable things....to me these 'spots' are obvious!!
What about all the people out there like me????? How many were given a regular brain MRI and came back normal? How many have gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed?
I promise I will post my results from my visit and MRI results when I go on March 26th....
Just wondering what you all think about regular brain MRI vs MS protocol MRI....and has anything similar happened to anyone else?
Laurie :)
I KNOW I am no radiologist or neurologist, AND I DID NOT get the results OR hear from my MS neuro. My appointment is March 26th.
What concerns me is this.....I have had SEVERAL Brain MRI's in the past....going back to 1993...when I had my first attack. My last regular brain MRI...."before the Protocol MRI on Monday" was Sept last year in the midst of a bad "relapse/attack"......
My MRI's always were reported as "normal"....
The one in Sept was reported as normal UNTIL my neuro saw "lesions' on my brainstem. He then sent me to an MS specialist who dx me with PROBABLE MS due to lesions ONLY in my brainstem and my clinical exam. (He was mad because I wasn't given an MS protocol MRI) He told me to have the MS MRI in 5-6 months which brings me to NOW......
After the MS protocol MRI on Monday, I asked for a copy of the CD....(I have looked at all my MRI scans before)
I was SHOCKED to see so many "bright" spots/lesions! The contrast part of the MRI didn't upload onto the disc. The scans that were "flair" are the ones I uploaded. There are many more pics that are "questionable" (not obvious to me but could be something)
I uploaded a web address under one of my MRI pics that has a scan pic of a person with definate MS....(mine is almost identical!!)
******What I am trying to say here is************Why did the MS protocol MRI show all these "spots" and no other MRI I have had in the past show this??? I have had up's and down's the last few months, but I don't believe all these "areas" are new since Sept!.
I am not in the medical field in any way....I am just a very frustrated patient who has been waiting a long time for a definate diagnosis of some kind!! All I KNOW is I have NEVER seen "spots/lesions" on my brain before..NONE, not even questionable things....to me these 'spots' are obvious!!
What about all the people out there like me????? How many were given a regular brain MRI and came back normal? How many have gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed?
I promise I will post my results from my visit and MRI results when I go on March 26th....
Just wondering what you all think about regular brain MRI vs MS protocol MRI....and has anything similar happened to anyone else?
Laurie :)
Thanks, I will get my radiology report....My MS specialist doesn't go by the radiologist report....he looks at the MRI himself. When I saw him in November he saw some lesions on my brainstem that were NOT reported by the radiologist.
He dx me with Probable MS/demyelinating disease because of my exam, symptoms and history. And of course the brainstem lesions. Since he didn't see any lesions on my brain he couldn't dx me with definate MS.
He (My MS doc) was upset because when I was in the hospital in Sept '12 the hospital did NOT give me an MS protocol MRI even though they were looking for MS too. (again NO lesions/spots showed on my brain)
He did start me on Copaxone, but I had a very bad reaction to it. As far as I am concerned I have MS. I was just surprised to see my MRI scans this time compared to the "regular" brain MRI I had in Sept.
It made me wonder about regular MRI's vs MS protocol MRI's. The pics I uploaded have "spots" in MS places. MS lesions or not, this is the first time ever having spots/increased signals show on my brain MRI (except in brainstem)
Laurie :)
He dx me with Probable MS/demyelinating disease because of my exam, symptoms and history. And of course the brainstem lesions. Since he didn't see any lesions on my brain he couldn't dx me with definate MS.
He (My MS doc) was upset because when I was in the hospital in Sept '12 the hospital did NOT give me an MS protocol MRI even though they were looking for MS too. (again NO lesions/spots showed on my brain)
He did start me on Copaxone, but I had a very bad reaction to it. As far as I am concerned I have MS. I was just surprised to see my MRI scans this time compared to the "regular" brain MRI I had in Sept.
It made me wonder about regular MRI's vs MS protocol MRI's. The pics I uploaded have "spots" in MS places. MS lesions or not, this is the first time ever having spots/increased signals show on my brain MRI (except in brainstem)
Laurie :)
I sure can't say what's going on with you, but I strongly urge you against looking at your MRIs and drawing conclusions. Many many people on this forum have done that and have turned out to be wrong.
Although you can't see your neuro for some time, you can get your radiology report, just for your information. It will be interesting to find out what he or she has to say. Radiologists cannot diagnose MS but perhaps will give you some clue as to what the neuro will say. I do hope, though, that your neuro will read your MRI for himself first, and also that he doesn't base his whole diagnosis on MRI. It's so much more complicated than that.
ess
Although you can't see your neuro for some time, you can get your radiology report, just for your information. It will be interesting to find out what he or she has to say. Radiologists cannot diagnose MS but perhaps will give you some clue as to what the neuro will say. I do hope, though, that your neuro will read your MRI for himself first, and also that he doesn't base his whole diagnosis on MRI. It's so much more complicated than that.
ess
your can look at your CD'S on a MAC with Osirix- its a free download for Mac's - I have a Mac. I have all MR:'S on Osirix
take care
JOhn
take care
JOhn
The MRI you had in past is ok, I know from my own MS Dr that MS protocol MRI done at the Teaching hospital is much better than going to private clinic. THe hospital will do more slices.
Now as far as looking at your MRI- don't get hung on the spots you see. Dr's spend years in training and not all spot are MS related.
Lesions lesson 101
it's the Size - shape and most importantly the location of lesions- let me say that again its the location of lesion.
Hope this helps..
try to chill out some before your visit with the DR, I've been there just waiting and very concerned.
take care
John
Now as far as looking at your MRI- don't get hung on the spots you see. Dr's spend years in training and not all spot are MS related.
Lesions lesson 101
it's the Size - shape and most importantly the location of lesions- let me say that again its the location of lesion.
Hope this helps..
try to chill out some before your visit with the DR, I've been there just waiting and very concerned.
take care
John
I probably am not the one to ask, as my last MRI was "MS Protocol" and the radiologist clearly stated I did not have MS.......ha ha........neuro and I found a minimum of 3 new lesions.......so probably just as well that you didn't get a radiologist report. I have no love lost for radiologists.
So yeah, that's TWO MRI's that I have had and both came back as "normal" and the first one showed a minimum of 10 lesions and this one 3 new ones, probably many of the old ones were now invisible, I have not looked at either, except the neuro showed me the first one.
My MAC computer does not like the program that runs these discs.
Am sure someone else will have more to say on them but you do pose good and interesting questions.
So yeah, that's TWO MRI's that I have had and both came back as "normal" and the first one showed a minimum of 10 lesions and this one 3 new ones, probably many of the old ones were now invisible, I have not looked at either, except the neuro showed me the first one.
My MAC computer does not like the program that runs these discs.
Am sure someone else will have more to say on them but you do pose good and interesting questions.
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I realize the human body is a complex thing, and so is MS.
I personally believe that unless the facility is requested to use MS protocol they don't do it. For example, I have cervical spine problems already. I had my c - spine MRI done the same place as my pain management doctor had sent me the previous year, and the two MRIs were compared. I have a funny fee that I wasn't checked for lesions at all. Also found out my referral to my first neurologist was done for "headaches," which I do NOT have. So now I have a bit of an idea why neurologist One thought I was wasting his time. Apparently none of my other symptoms were conveyed to him, or at least not until I tried to tell him myself. I do think they take the word of another doctor more seriously.
I guess the above is to say that things are most likely overlooked if the reason for the MRI isn't, at the very least, worded in such a way to indicate something neurological is going on.
JMHO :)