MRI's, do they catch all aneurysms

Hello,
My neuro is sending me to get an MRI this week. About six months ago I had dizziness, fatigue, nasuea,  feeling faint, palps, a bunch of other stuff that has since them went away. I am thinking stress or it was related to my menstral cycle becasue it does come back during that time. My question is, he still wants to look at my brain and I want him to too.

This week my son and I came down with strep throat. Pennicillin (penicillin) didnt work on my son so we are both now on omnicef. I know strep throat is small and will go away but I felt awful. fever for 2 days and my neck was stiff and I had this thunder clapping headache everytime I would get up from being seated and then when I would be standing and bend over to pick something up, i would get the head ache again by the time my head got around my waist. I was taking ibuprofen and omnicef at the time for the fever and strep. The headache has gone away. Of course, I did a search online of the symptoms and aneurysm kept showing.  My great grandma died of one of these but no one else that I know of. I dont smoke or drink or take BC pills.  I am about 50 pounds overweight. Have lost 30 with Dr. Oz diet.

So- I am glad I am having this MRI now because I read it can catch an aneurysm. Can it catch all aneurysms in the brain no matter the size? Also, I dont know what the neuro asked the MRI (radiologist) people to look for but they will look for everything anyways, right?

Thanks for any help you can give. Also, I am slightly caustrophobic and I would liek to take a xanax before this procedure. Will that hurt the test?

[Joanna Fong, MD]

Hi Clarissairene,

Your symptoms of dizziness, fatigue, nasuea, feeling faint, palpitation can be due to many things.  Too list a few:

-hypotension (dehydration)
-vasovagal  (Patients are usually young and have a prodrome of diaphoresis, nausea, fatigue, and pallor. There is often an increase in heart rate prior to an episode. Syncopal episodes are frequently induced by prolonged standing, venipuncture (experienced or witnessed), heat exposure, painful or noxious stimuli, fear of bodily injury, or exercise.)
-orthostatic hypotension (The major causes: Decreased intravascular volume, drug effects, especially antidepressants (tricyclics, phenothiazine) and antihypertensive agents (beta and alpha blockers, hydralazine, ACE inhibitors, ganglionic blockers), particularly vasodilators, including calcium channel blockers and nitrates (more commonly observed in the elderly). Secondary autonomic insufficiency (eg, diabetes mellitus and amyloidosis), alcohol consumption which impairs vasoconstriction.  Aging
-stress (related to anxiety)
-POTS (postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS))
-systemic illnesses, e.g. infection
-cardiac (e.g. heart attack)
-stroke (vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency)

To answer your question about MRI:

-MRI is good to look at abnormalities in the brain.  Aneursyms can be detected with MRA (MRI of the arteries in the brain).  However, the best way to look at aneursyms are cerebral angiogram. However, angiogram is invasive, therefore MRA is often used first.  

If you are caustrophobic, xanax will help.  Typical duration of MRI is 45 minutes.

Good luck.

THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL MEDICAL EDUCATION PURPOSE ONLY.  PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PHYSICIAN FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT OPTIONS OF YOUR SPECIFIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS.