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Originally Posted by lady_express_44
So, FLAIR images are sufficient for seeing virtually all lesions, active or not? Is gad used only to clearly identify which of the lesions is "active" then?
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Pretty much.
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The situation for my daughter is slightly complicated by the fact that she has braces, and for some reason these braces were especially problematic, according to the radiologist. Her ped. neurologist felt they got enough information to conclude their weren't lesions though, by "piecing" together the images (whatever that means  ).
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As we discussed off-line, I don't know what "pieced together" means, but I do think the middle and upper portions of the brain might be diagnostic anyway, even with the braces.
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I know they used a "FLAIR" image on her, as the neuro mentioned that . . . but do you know if they ALWAYS use that type when specifically looking for MS? So, if gad isn't used, and lesions don't show, we can safely "assume" that MS is not a imminent concern for ANY patient who has a MRI? (Not to imply that lesions might not pop up down the road ...)
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FLAIR is used on virtually
every scan of the brain, because it suppresses the signal of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). What seems at first glance like an abnormality on standard T2-weighted images often turns out to be normal CSF - and that finding is confirmed by the CSF-nulled FLAIR scan. So, I guess the answer is "yes."
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