Does this make sense Brain vs Spine MRI

I have been told...

That if you had symptons such as facial numbness, headaches, and vertigo, and itchy head, facial sensations, that if you had MS, it would most likely show up on the brain MRI, not the spine.

The reason is, those symptons are specific to the head, not the spine, as the spine would cause something more towards trouble walking.

I know a fellow who has some of these symptons, and had a couple clean brain MRI'S. Doctor said the spine MRi would be useless, as his symptons IF he has MS would show on the brain.

Also another question as far as MS spine MRI. whne they di this is it the whole spine, or just the neck part of the spine, from your shoulders, up?

thanks

motox

[Lulu54]

Yes, there is a correlation between symptoms and lesion location.  But it is also always possible that the lesions you have are not eloquent - they are not in contact with any area that speaks up in symptoms.  I have a bunch of brain lesions, but am fortunate that there are few problems from them right now.  

I also have spinal lesions.  Those are harder to image than the brain MRI's.  The scans that you want done are for the cervical and thoracic spine sections.  The lumbar spine is the lowest section and is never involved with MS.  The lumbar spine is often imaged as part of the series just to be sure there is nothing else going on with the spine.

Technology is evolving for the MRI's but it still has a long way to go before we can say for sure that we know the MRI is actually showing everything.  We know that imaging on a 1.5T machine is not as effective as on a 3T machine.    I'm trying to say, just because we don't see the lesions on the tests, it doesn't mean they don't exist.

I hope something in my rambling here is helpful.

be well,
Lulu

[sllowe]

Hi Motox,

Sounds to me that the Drs clinical exam did not warrant further investigation via spinal MRI, based on the problems your friend was having.

If the Dr. suspected something spinal related, he/she would or could order the rest of the spine imaged.  

Just my initial thoughts...
-shell

[Udkas]

Hi there,
Welcome to the MS forum.  I am just repeating what everybody else has said.  Usually the Dr would order a cervical and thoracic MRI when symptoms or clinical findings suggest spinal cord involvement.  On exam the Dr can usually tell from what you describe and what they find on physical exam to indicate if the lesions are  on the spine.

As for imaging the best machine is the T3 but even this is not perfect for spinal cord lesions.  My neurologist believes I have a lesion on T10 but it is not seen on MRI but he tells me what he finds tells him that it is there!

Maybe if your friend continues to have symptoms they might then organise spinal MRI.

Good Luck, I hope they get some answers.
Udkas

[monkeypea]

hi there, im interested by your comment "The lumbar spine is the lowest section and is never involved with MS." could you point me to some information about this?

i have ms, diagnosed in 2006 after facial numbness and mri revealing many lesions.
i was surprised theat they didnt do a spinal mri as i have had lower back problem for 20+ years with  severe muscular spasms and nerve pain that they have been unable to explain... until the MS diagnosis and i think the neurologist thinks my back condition  may be linked to MS.
I have had lumbar mri scans before and wondered if lesions would show up there