Anyone diagnosed by MRI without contrast?

[finlayargyle]

Finally have a date for MRI (end of July, NHS). It is listed as without contrast but radiology said if they see something they may have to give it but that's rare.

DR was one who suggested mri to rule out AN, I'd have thought they'd have wanted to make sure! I don't want to have to wait for another mri with it.

Anyone have an AN diagnosis without contrast?

[CHD63]

Hi finlayargyle .....

An MRI with contrast will pick up almost all ANs, large and small.  However, without contrast, small ones can be missed and larger ones may not be clearly defined for size and place.

Before my first diagnosis, due to a mistake in ordering, I had an MRI done without contrast.  It was read as negative for any abnormalities.  14 months later another one was done when I experienced hearing loss, but with contrast that time and my AN was found at over 2 cm.  I would lobby for my doctor to include "with and without contrast" on the order, if I were you ..... unless you have kidney disease or some other reason why the contrast material might cause a problem for you.  Just my thoughts .....

Clarice

[arizonajack]

Finally have a date for MRI (end of July, NHS). It is listed as without contrast but radiology said if they see something they may have to give it but that's rare.

DR was one who suggested mri to rule out AN, I'd have thought they'd have wanted to make sure! I don't want to have to wait for another mri with it.

Anyone have an AN diagnosis without contrast?

Since it's that far ahead you have time to start lobbying for contrast. An MRI without contrast is a waste of time and money. A lab test a couple of weeks prior will check your kidney functions to make sure you'll have no issue with the contrast.

[Echo]

When I first complained of symptoms my ENT ordered a Cat Scan and an MRI "without" contrast.
The cat scan came back clean, nothing showed.  The MRI showed a 1.8cm AN.  My follow up MRI 6 months later was done with contrast and the next two MRI's were without.  The image is definitely more clear and sharp with contrast which would make small AN's easier to see, but there was no problem finding my AN on initial diagnosis without the contrast.

Cathie.

[finlayargyle]

Thanks. Going to ring today to say about contrast. Hopefully they agree to use it. I just don't see the point without it.

[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.