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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Re: Confused about Test Results
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Re: Confused about Test Results
by CF-neuro-MD, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By CCF neuro MD# on February 20, 1998 at 14:24:48:
In Reply to: Confused about Test Results posted by Paula Crane on February 19, 1998 at 21:34:03:
: I am confused about how MS is definitely ruled out. I had the conception that MS could be ruled out with negative brain/spinal MRI's, negative evoked potentials, and a negative spinal tap. Am I right? What other etiologies are considered after MS is ruled out? I have "MS-like" symptoms and all my tests are negative. My neurological exam was also normal. Lyme, ANA antibodies etc. were also negative. Do I still have to worry that I have MS even though my tests were all negative? I appreciate your response.
=
It is very difficult to give an absolute answer to a question like this, answers
can only be expressed in terms of probabilities.
I would be interested to know what your MS-like symptoms were, since the
possible range of symptoms is very broad and many other disorders can overlap
in terms of individual symptoms.
I would also be interested to know if the normal neurological examination occurred
during or after your symptoms.
If you had a normal exam ,and all of those normal tests at the time of your
symptoms MS would be very unlikely, but it is not possible to say that the
diagnosis has been absolutely outruled especially whwn typical symptoms are being
encountered.
It would appear however, on the basis of the extensive testing that you have had that it
is not sufficiently likely to worry unduly about the posibility.
The other possibilities explored would be the ones that appear to have been
looked into already, vasculitis, Lyme disease and post-viral syndrome.
In Reply to: Confused about Test Results posted by Paula Crane on February 19, 1998 at 21:34:03:
: I am confused about how MS is definitely ruled out. I had the conception that MS could be ruled out with negative brain/spinal MRI's, negative evoked potentials, and a negative spinal tap. Am I right? What other etiologies are considered after MS is ruled out? I have "MS-like" symptoms and all my tests are negative. My neurological exam was also normal. Lyme, ANA antibodies etc. were also negative. Do I still have to worry that I have MS even though my tests were all negative? I appreciate your response.
=
It is very difficult to give an absolute answer to a question like this, answers
can only be expressed in terms of probabilities.
I would be interested to know what your MS-like symptoms were, since the
possible range of symptoms is very broad and many other disorders can overlap
in terms of individual symptoms.
I would also be interested to know if the normal neurological examination occurred
during or after your symptoms.
If you had a normal exam ,and all of those normal tests at the time of your
symptoms MS would be very unlikely, but it is not possible to say that the
diagnosis has been absolutely outruled especially whwn typical symptoms are being
encountered.
It would appear however, on the basis of the extensive testing that you have had that it
is not sufficiently likely to worry unduly about the posibility.
The other possibilities explored would be the ones that appear to have been
looked into already, vasculitis, Lyme disease and post-viral syndrome.
