2nd MRI shows no AN?!?!?!

[macdonalddobies]

I am really confused and don't know what to think. I had my first MR on Oct 1st 2013, showed a small AN 3mm in size. After that symptoms seemed to have gotten worse, dizziness, vision blur, balance issues. My doctor sent me for a new MR on Friday Nov 30th, I just got the report back today and it says I have nothing there anymore. Has this happened to anyone before? I am following up with him tomorrow. I feel like something isn't right here. I mean, if there was a tumor, they would see it. My doctor actually made me go to a specific place for my scan because he said they had the best image quality.

He also told me before that these things just don't go away. The report specifically says there is nothing on my 5th or 8th cranial nerve, which the first report says the tumor was there in my internal auditory canal.

I am going to Hopkins next month and feel like they will get to the bottom of this.

Any advice of similar things that have happened are welcome

[arizonajack]

Was the second MRI done with contrast?

Have your symptoms persisted?

[Echo]

I don't know much about inconsistencies between MRI's but I can tell you when I was diagnosed my ENT sent me for a CT scan first and then an MRI.  My CT scan came back clear, no AN found.  My MRI two weeks later showed a 1.8cm AN.

I'm sure Hopkins will be able to confirm one way or another for you.  Make sure that contrast is used when you have your next MRI.

Best of luck, and let us know how things go.
Cathie.

[macdonalddobies]

Hello,

Yes, both were MRI's and both had contrast. it was done with and without contrast.

[arizonajack]

Hello,

Yes, both were MRI's and both had contrast. it was done with and without contrast.

I note that your AN was 3mm.

As the MRI machine rotates, the cuts that it makes images of can range from 2mm to 4mm depending on how the machine is set. If the cuts were set at 3mm or 4mm it's easy to imagine how a 3mm AN could have ended up between two cuts and be invisible. Even with 2mm cuts the imaged edge of the AN could have been so small as to not be noticeable.

If you can view your first MRI images and flip from one image to the next you'll be able to see how that works.

I imagine your next MRI can be set to narrower cuts to bring up the AN.

[macdonalddobies]

Thanks for the advice. I called and asked the MRI place this question, and she was sure because they did a brain scan and special IAC cuts that if it was there it would have come up. Then again, she was a medical receptionist. I see my doctor tomorrow and I'm sure he will get to the bottom of this. As much as I hope this is the truth, and it was misdiagnosed, or some how vanished, I doubt this is the case. I actually subconsciously thought about this happening the other day while waiting over the weekend for my results. Thinking, "what if they tell me it's gone, but really it isn't?"
As much as i don't want to deal with an AN, I really don't want to deal with these mind games of not knowing and back and forth testing. UGH, frustrated.

[macdonalddobies]

Well it turns out that the radiology report was wrong. I saw my doctor today, as soon as he loaded the disk, the tumor was there in plain sight. Needless to say, he was pretty mad that they over looked something so obvious. So i am back to where  I was. I am waiting for a new report to see what the size is currenlty. However, my dizziness and blurred vision is not getting better.

He said I am going to do some more balance therapy, see an ophthalmologist, and re-evaluate early January. If I am not getting better, we will talk surgery options.

I am trying to figure out who is the best doctor to go to that has the best sucess rates for these surgeries. I guess I have time to make a decision, as I am in no rush to have surgery 

[thedales7]

Fortunately,  I read the responses to your post becasue I was going to say that the report is propably wrong!!   My AN was missed on numerous MRI's before my Neuro-Otologist found it!