MRI with or with out contrast to look for MRI

[Jench357]

I am having a MRI because of right side weeknesss in leg hand tremor pain tingling in both hands.
My ? Is should a MRI be done with out contrast to look for leasons?

[110Titus]

Did your MRI without contrast show any lesions or only when they did the contrast?

I

[aspen2]

The lesions showed up fine without contrast.  In fact, my first mri wasn't even done with ms protocol, but was done for a bout of trigeminal neuralgia.  The only thing listed in the differential was demyelination.

I had contrast with an mri several months later and there were no enhancing lesions at that time either (well after the relapse) but the original lesions looked identical to the first mr image (two more super tiny ones).  So yes, contrast is not necessary to show lesions,  just to identify whether or not they are active.

[aspen2]

Lesions will still show up without contrast; what won't show up without contrast would be "enhancing" lesions typical of ms plaque that is currently active.

My inital scans were done without contrast because the neurologist was looking for a tumour and something to explain the facial neuralgia I was experiencing.  I ended up needing a second set of mris with contrast as per ms protocol instead.

So it depends what your doctor is looking for with this initial scan.  If you are worried that no contrast has been ordered, please know that if there is anything indicative of ms lesion-wise, they will do further scans.