Get the MRI on cd for free or $5 and look/learn yourself like I did. Play with the brightness/contrast settings to make it pronounced. My avatar is my head made by me.

That spot on mine is huge. They'll be smaller. I used that slice cause it's so obvious. Go slices up or down and there's many many smaller ones.

Some lesions are so tiny they don't show up for years. Also the doctor should write on the script, use MS protocol. the radiologist will sue a certain set of sequences, different the a regular head MRI. Also it should be in a closed MRI machine with a minimum of 1.5 telsa.

An LP can rule out other diseases. It doe not always rule in MS. If you have one lesion they may wait to see if you get more in another location. That will mean you had two attacks at different times, and spaced apart from the last one. Lesions do have many other diseases that put them there.

Location of lesion/s is important. I was dx'd before MRI's were around. Clinical exam, LP and history. Later on I had MRI's for ins purposes to go on DMD's at the time, so was Dx'd again.

A non-contrast MRI may not show very new lesions, just older ones.

Thanks eddie. i have had mine on cd for some time but gave up trying to find the lesions. i will try again

Lesions in MS are typically found in certain areas of the brain, and have certain characteristics (ie; ovoid shape). However, as others have stated, they don't always show up an MRI. AND, there there can be atypical lesions.

As other have also said, not everyone with MS will have a positive LP. And in addition to the statistics, since not everyone with MS has even HAD an LP, the stats are very misleading.

I was dxed without having an LP, and even without having a lot of sx besides Optic Neuritis. My brain MRI was enough to cinch the deal!

Mysterious, mysterious disease. Not even all MS specialists agree on things, and you'll find lots of people who have been dxed that previously got a "no MS" dx from a different doctor. Don't know if you saw a specialist, but if MS is suspected, that's the best route to take.

Off topic -- hi to all my old NT buddies! :Wave-Hello:

Hi ya BG :Wave-Hello: Welcome home. :hug: How are you doing?