T-spine MRI question
 

I had a T-spine MRI last month and the tech was not able to get all of the contrast in my vein. She said it was rolling around and was only able to get about half of the contrast in.

It really did hurt! :( I am wondering if that could make a difference in wheter or not the MRI could pick up lesions.

Hi LA

As I recall, the reason they use contrast in our brain MRI's is to see if there are any "active"/inflammed lesions. I guess it might stand to reason that it would be done for the same reason in our spine.

I had (my only) brain and spine MRI's done without contrast, and the results in both instances, showed lesions. Whether they were "officially" inflammed or not, I'm not sure . . . but I had 'em. ;)

They were able to measure my spinal lesions, and confirm which one caused me to be paralyzed (at the time).

Based on my experience, they do not need contrast to see the lesions, only to see if they are active. However, they can determine if they are by our symptoms too though, and a MRI is not even necessary (once dx).

Hope that helps. (Maybe Rex will come around and provide more technical input. :D)

Cherie

When I had my spinal MRI in december of 2006, they werent able to get all of the contrast in...the nurse who had drawn my blood the day before had blown the one good vein I had.

But, when they got the results back from that MRI, they were able to see something there. I went back for another MRI a week later, and that's when they were able to see what the something(s) were. Two relatively active lesions on T12 and C4.

I get the feeling they're not so active now, but I was really surprised that they found them at the time.

My T spine scan was without contrast and they were still able to find some. As stated earlier, contrast is mainly to find out if any of those leisons are "active". They light up under contrast if they are.

Thanks for the responses on this. I alreay have a dx so I guess it does not matter.

I had a couple of lesions on my brain MRI this summer. One old and one new. I am surprised nothing showed on the spine MRI because I do have the MS hug and my lower body is much more affected than my upper.

It just made sense that a lesion might be somewhere along my spine. But,,,,this is just a weird thing I guess.

I'm kind of suprised to read that the Doctor's orders would be disregarded because a tech couldn't hit your vein. Good news that nothing showed in your spine though.

They're not disregarding doctor's orders if you only have one good vein and it gets blown on the first attempt of starting the IV. I dont know how it went for the original poster, but it hurts when they keep trying to stick you with the IV multiple times.

Erin I hear what you are saying but all I can say is that in my experience if the Physician orders contrast, blood draw etc. we'd have a team on your veins until someone hit the spot.

yeah, but if the patient is in pain from being stuck repeatedly, the patient has the right to ask them to stop hurting them.

Absolutely but I don't recall the OP stating they requested them to stop because of the pain. I was only referring to the OPs experience as I understood it.

My comment about not needing a MRI for them to figure this out (once dx) was really meant for others (without dx) who may misunderstand that they could (possibly) draw conclusions based on symptoms alone. Once we are dx (which you are), then they often make assumptions about what's going on with us MS-wise, without doing MRI's that prove it. ;)

I had given some information on an earlier thread about the hug:


L'hirmettes is another sign of spinal lesions. Some of the other symptoms we get can come from either brain or spinal lesions . . . but I won't go into each of them.

I am a bit surprised they only did a T spine MRI, LA. L'hirmettes is a C-spine problem, and (I think) the hug is too. Why didn't they do the C-spine at the same time?

Also . . . bear in mind that spinal lesions can be sneaky, with or without contrast. The contrast is just to help spot active inflammation . . . but I don't think using it makes a difference with regard to actually spotting damage easier (I might be wrong, but I don't think so). However, spinal lesions can be very small, and unnoticable on a MRI, but still cause problems.

I might ask for another MRI, but only if he will request the C-spine too. At the end of the day . . . it probably doesn't matter one way or another though.

Cherie

Well, if you're not having the MRI done at a hospital, they might have only so many techs around that could keep trying to do the IV.

My MRI's were all done at imaging centers. My first one was done at a larger center, but they still had only one machine, but they seemed to have a lot of extra techs around. They didnt have a problem with the IV there.

The other one was done at a smaller imaging center, they had two techs. One was new, and the other guy had been there forever. He had the best luck with my failed IV. He was able to get a little contrast in, just before the vein collapsed or quit working, whatever you call it when it cant get the contrast in. He let the new person attempt the IV in my other arm, and the back of my hand, he tried it too in the back of my other hand. They just couldnt get the contrast in there.

I didnt blame the techs for not being able to get the contrast in. (it was the nurse from the day before's fault, she ripped my veins apart in my elbows taking blood. Most painful blood draws I've ever had!) I think there are probably times when they just cant get the contrast in. I had to go back a week later for another MRI to confirm the little blips they saw on the first one as being lesions.

By then the ripped up veins in my elbows were healed and they had no problems with getting the contrast in. That pretty much confirmed to me to not have an MRI done the day of or day after having blood drawn.

Erin, do you have copies of your spinal MRI results?

I'm curious if either (or both) of them say the size and exact location of the lesions because I find it curious that they might not have been able to identify them as MS lesions (just "blips") the first time.

I had mentioned that I didn't have contrast, yet they picked up on my spinal lesions and were able to measure them. I wonder why there would be a difference between your situation and mine, unless mine are just very large and/or yours very small?

Cherie