TOS, Carotid Artery Tumor & MS

    
      Re: TOS, Carotid Artery Tumor & MS
    


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Posted by CCF Neuro MD *!* on January 12, 1998 at 01:00:36:

In Reply to: TOS, Carotid Artery Tumor & MS posted by Rita Yates on January 11, 1998 at 15:08:02:

: I was wondering about my current symptons.  I have had a MRI for MS which was negative.  However, my symptoms still remain.  Extreme fatigue, tremor, numbness & tingling in arms, hands, feet & legs, frequent urninary tract infections, tailbone pain, blurred vision etc.  I had a carotid artery tumor disected in 1994, Thoracic Outlet Surgery in 1996.  With both surgeries my vascular surgeon suggested MS. My neurologist did a MRI but it was negative.   He is convinced it is not MS.  What else could it be?  I am going to another neurologist March 31.
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I would agree with your neurologist that MS is not a likely cause for your
symptoms, the nprmal MRI is very strong evidence in favour of this also,
especially since the symptoms are not really typical.
I do not feel that the carotid artery tumor or TOS are all that relevant either.
To clarify your disgnosis would require a great deal more information than
simply a list of symptoms, there are numerous aspects of every symptom which need
to be clarified,for instance the side , distribution, severity, frequency,
and intensity of the numbness, the frequency, severity and nature of
the visual symptoms, the type of tremor, your age, family history etc etc etc.
In short therefore it is not possible to tease out this complex
presentation by means of a brief or even a prolonged posting on the internet.
Perhaps however we can tell you where to start looking and the sort of
things that need to be checked, possibly  by an internist since it would appear that
this is a systemic or generalised  rather a than purely neurological
problem.
Testing should include thyroid screening, Vitamin B12 and Folate levels,
basic blood count and biochemical screening, Sed rate to outrule an
autoimmune disorder,rheumatiod factor, screening for diabetes in view of
frequent urinary infections, serum immunoelectropheresis, detailed eye exam
to clarify the cause of the visual problems.
These are just some of the issues that need to be addressed, the details
will depend on the outcome of a detailed history and physical examination.