General Category > AN Issues

Anyone diagnosed by MRI without contrast?

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PaulW:
I believe the newer MRI's have no problems detecting AN's without contrast using T2 weighted images. In the past T1 weighted images with contrast were the primary way of detecting tumours
However if something is detected it could be a number of different tumours.
If there is nothing detected on the first pass you won't need the contrast and they will see the AN.
If there is something there they will need to give you the contrast and do a pass with T1 weighted imaging. This will differentiate the tumour from many others and lead to a diagnosis of an acoustic neuroma or something different. In a modern MRI machine you do not need contrast to detect the AN. But you do need the contrast to determine what sort of tumour it is, and give the doctors the best plan of attack. T2 weighted images show up nerves.. Something your ENT will want.. T1 weighted images won't show up nerves even with contrast. So if you are wondering why they take the scan with contrast and without, even when an MRI is ordered with contrast, it so they can determine what sort of tumour it is and get more detail.

finlayargyle:
Thanks for this info too. The MRI just can't come soon enough.

keithmac:
My initial one, August 2013, was without Gadolinium, a routine scan in a mobile unit.  That revealed the AN.  Another scan with Gadolinium took place in September from which the size was assessed.  The next in May 2014 was with Gadolinium again.  The latest, May 2015, was without and I asked the radiologist why.  She referred to my notes and said the doctor ordering it (who ordered my other two) had said there was no need for contrast dye as it could be seen well without.  (I'm hoping it wasn't just an NHS cost-cutting exercise that will see me having to go again because the photo's no damned good!)

 That was May 18 and I'm hoping I'll hear the outcome before the end of June, earlier would be better of course.  Then I'll find out if the scan was good enough to assess growth, if any, or if I'll need another scan and this time with dye... 

Either way I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a 'no-growth' finding and another year before the next one.

ps  Good luck with yours.

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