1.5 Telsa MRI

[Angie9798]

Hello-

I have had 3 seperate MRI's...one of the brain, one C-Spine and one T-spine.  No lumbar.  All 3 were done to look for signs of MS.  All 3 were normal without contrast.

My question is...is this 1.5 Telsa machine strong enough to pick up lesions?  I have been sympomatic since January.  Kaiser will not run contrast UNLESS the normal MRI shows abnormalities.  I think the concept is backwards!

My neuro says he doesn't think I have MS based on this, but I have a hard time believing it.  He says that this may all be anxiety driven.  I totally disagree.  

Aslo, if this is MS...how long will the symptoms stay?  I have leg tingliness, heaviness, CONSTANT muscle twitches, achiness (like I'm chilled to the bone), tiredness, etc...

My neuro says he sees no sign of damage; I am still completely strong & very happy about that.  I am having a hard time dismissing how I feel.  I am typically a very hyper 34 year old stay home mom of 2....and I mean hyper.  Everything has changed...even my neck gets heavy!

Looking for advice....

Thanks,
Angie

[daisy.girl]

hi angie...
no..the 1.5 T showed no lesions. The 3T showed about 10 small lesions.

Also, you asked if your lesions may be too new to see. No...if the MRI can pick them up, the new ones show up on the MRI without contrast too....they just are not able to tell that they are new ones. The contrast lights-up the lesions that are 30-40 days old. (they enhance).

Hope that helps.

Blessings

[ashleyPT]

Angie,

You symptoms are in your lower extremity and they started with a brain, cervical, and thoracic  MRI?  Is that correct?  When you say leg - are symptoms in both or one?

[Angie9798]

Thank you all so much!  It's amazing to get som much feedback!   I love this sight!

First, yes, all blood work has been done.  The only def. I have is D....of course.

I don't know what the heck my neuro is thinking!  Like I said, he started at the brain about 2 to 4 weeks into this thing and every other week or so he adds another mri...STILL NO LUMBAR!  It is so frustrating!  He said lumbar isn't needed because the EMG will pick up on whatever is going on there.  You would think they would start with lumbar, RIGHT???

I also had the visual evoke test, and it was normal.  My primary care wants to have the lumbar puncture done.  At this point the sooner they can maybe rule all this out the better...I HATE being in limbo...I'm sure many of you understand.

So, the 1.5 is all normal...but still no lumbar and no contrast.  I am wondering if it would pick anything up.  Believe me, I am not hopeful that this is MS but an answer would be good.  I don't think it's anxiety.  

I was nervous about ALS but my neuro says that comes on totally different.  Do any of you know???

Thank you all so so so much!  Please let me know what you think.

Angie

[Angie9798]

So, your 1.5 came back normal?  How did you get them to run the 3T?  Were either or both with contrast?

What do you suggest I do??   How long did your DX take?

Thank you!

[Sparkysarah]

I am also new to this site and it feels like we are in a similar place. I am waiting for lots of results..hopefully this week. I had a brains scan done to look for an acoustic neuromas originally as I had experienced some mild hearing loss and numbness on one side of my face. This scan showed brain scarring on right hand side but was not as detailed as a neuro scan. I have subsequently had scans done of head, neck and spine and results are sitting on Consultant's desk waiting for him to read and come back to me. I had all my blood tests done last week and these should be through next week also. I have to wait for evoked eye potential test on 1st April. This waiting and being in limbo is the hardest bit and I know it is essential to eliminate everything else, but it is frustrating when symptoms are increasing (probably due to anxiety) and there is nothing that can be done. I feel fairly ignorant about all the different scans that have been mentioned so will be interested to find out what sort I have had done. My first radiography report suggested demylination and my neuro has indictaed that it looks highly likely and this is before any of the new tests have been. the unknow is a difficult place to be.... xxx

[daisy.girl]

Angie,
I had the following results:
hyperactive deep tendon reflexes
positive babinski
positive hoffmans sign
clonus
absent abdominal reflex
ataxia
abnormal SSEP
low vit D
low B12
normal LP
my first brain MRI was normal on the 1.5 T magnet.
second MRI on 3T showed lesions

I went to a new neuro....he is the one that reordered the MRI....I picked the radiololgy dept...because I had researched, like you, the stronger the magnet the better.

but my new neuro thought it was MS from the beginning, even though the first MRI was normal....he said my neuro exam and history pointed strongly toward MS.

I did have contrast with the second MRI....but ALL lesions will show up on a MRI without contrast...the contrast only shows which lesion are newer ones (within the last 30 days or so)