Will a MRI with Headache protocol show lesions?

[wadeheather]

I called my dr's office after receiving the results of my last MRI because the report did not say they even looked for any lesions, just simply said there was no mass or vessel issues. I talked to a lady, that told me that if there were lesions they would have seen them.

Will they see them if they are not looking for them?

[wadeheather]

It's been a crazy week, but at some point I did find out the MRI was on a 1.5 with "various" slices.  Suggestions??

[steph74]

When I had a brain MRI in February for headache, the slices were every 5 mm, not continuous, so smaller lesions could have been missed.  

[wadeheather]

Brilliant! Thank you so much! I will do that tomorrow!  

[Quixotic1]

I would think that an MRI done to work up headache would NOT be sufficient to rule out MS.  The reason is this:  When you do an MRI because of headache, you are looking for faily large things like brain tumors, bleeds, increased intracranial pressure and such.  The MRI uses fairly large cuts/slices and skips sections.  Also, a limited number of techniques will be used.

In the MS protocol it specifies that the slices be extremely thin - at max 3mm - and many are now recommending 1mm.  Also, no sections con be missed.  The slices must be contiguous.

There is a new set of recommends for the MRI Protocol that recently came out of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers.  I'll try to retrieve it sometime or perhaps one of you guys can report on it.  There are come changes, including NO minimum MRI strength, but a requirement that the films be of sufficient quality to see 1mm lesions.

You can talk to the radiologist at the center where you had the MRI and ask if the headache protocol they used would suffice for diagnosing MS.  That way you can get your info without antogonizing your neuro.

Quix

[Udkas]

My migraines are the same I don't fit the classical aura stuff, I too am totally confused. Years ago I was told that I had MS by another neuro but when my MRI was clear it was a wait and see approach, repeat MRI etc. and LP other mimics ruled out, this neuro then discounted out MS as I failed to have any more progression but he didn't think all my symptoms were migraine either.

New neuro tells me that I have had a couple of demlynating episodes and says that they are spinal, so he reckons I have two problems both the Transverse Myelitis and the migraine.  My brain MRI is unremarkable, nothing, not even a weeny spot.
I am menopausal, well I think i must be I am getting night sweats, I am 44.

I think this is giving me migraines, the hormones I think.
At the moment I am dealing with symptoms every day, tingling, pain, numbness, weakness, twitching etc. but I also have these weird ice pick type things happening in my head and my eye twitch is definate migraine,  My neuro still thinks my migraines make my existing symptoms worse?  I can't differentiate anymore and I am so confused. At the moment my legs are tingling, not one sided like migraine is meant to but I also have the twitchy eye which i think is migraine. Hmm I just want an end to my problems.

I am lucky as my neuro is still monitoring me and doing repeat MRI incl. brain so I guess if I do end up with MS or something else it will get picked up eventually. For the moment there is not much they can do apart from watch and monitor me and treat my symptoms. I do believe my neuro but at first I would have had trouble swallowing the migraine scenario but also he is not saying all my symptoms are attributable to migraine... sorry ranting here, my symptoms are driving me insane at the moment!  Especially the eye twitching as it is distorting my vision, hubby reckons I need botox...lol well perhaps they can do both eyes and get rid of my wrinkles too.

Are you on migraine meds and if so what do you take?
Cheers,
Udkas

[wadeheather]

I don't find it in migraine literature. I guess part of the reason I am so confused is because with migraine there seems to be a "procedure," so to speak.  It starts with the aura, yadda yadda blah blah... But mine doesn't work that way. It's NOT aura for 60 min, then tingling or face pain or whatever.  It's all there whenever it feels like being there. Aura is every day, no matter what. The rest comes and goes.  

[Udkas]

Is twitching and myoclonus not a migraine symptom?  I get both all the time when I get my headache or icepick type pains in my head, i don't actually get headache and I assumed this was because of my migraine as it certainly comes with my migraine, but I guess migraine could make my TM/MS type symptoms worse!  I am sure twitching can be from migraine.

Bladder and bowel is definately not!  I am sure that the protocol would be same or similar, so lesions would be seen if they are there to be seen.

Good luck with it all, I hope you get some answers, I can relate!

[wadeheather]

I'm not sure, and I'm almost afraid to ask because I'm not really sure how informed I should seem without scaring this guy off.  He's a nice guy and logically (I think) trying to eliminate migraine as the symptom causer, but at the same time didn't really take too much notice of the non-migraine type symptoms (bladder, bowel, twitching, myoclonus...).  

[Lulu54]

Hi Heather,
I'm not sure what a headache protocol is for an MRI, but I have no doubt that if you have SIGNIFICANT lesions, they would be visible on the MRI.  

But this excludes all of those lesions that we know form and are there someplace in our brain, but aren't necessarily visible right away because the technology is not advanced enough.  

What strength machine was your MRI done on?  That also is a factor.

be well,
Lulu