Hello. I am curious as to whether any of you had a clear brain MRI but went on to get an MS diagnosis? My last MRI was for something unrelated to my current situation, but as this MRI was only 5 months ago the neuro didn’t think anything was wrong with me even though my symptoms are very consistent with MS, I presume as I’d had an MRI and it’d been clear. Is it possible for something new to show up on a brain MRI in just 5 months?
For your info, as far as I remember, there are 3 tests necessary to decide upon a diagnosis… The MRI, LP (injection in spine) and an ‘EVP’ (eye test). I must say that there are many symptoms consistent with MS, eg lame legs, lack of bladder control, chronic fatigue, and many other symptoms not directly visible to the eye, like lack of concentration for example BUT… leave one and another to the specialists, and ask for a second opinion if possible.
The reason that I am responding to your question is that I have had, as far as I am concerned, typical MS problems as pointed out above, since my teens but was only diagnosed at the age of 40! (as ‘mine’ seems to be very slow progressive…).
These days, with the internet, there is so much more info available, but this can work both ways…, it can be helpful as well as damaging…, take care! (and check your health insurance etc if applicable, just in case…).
I’ve had a number of clear MRI brain scans, but still have MS as my lesions are in the spine.
In fact the very first MRI that I had was on the brain about 8 years ago, it was carried out because I was getting numb & tingly hands, long before being diagnosed with MS.
This particular brain scan came back as clear, so the neurologist at that time put my hands issue down to carpel tunnel.
Move forward about 3 years later and suddenly having issues with walking I see another neurologist who decides to carry out new MRI scans after looking at the old MRI brain scan that was still on my hospital file, and noticing a very very small white spot, NOT in the brain but in the very top of the spine, that was captured when the image was taken of the brain, basically that very first MRI image had captured the brain and also about 5 or 6 inches of the top of the spine, hence this newer neurologist investigating further with fresh MRI’s of the spine.
The new MRI scans of the spine confirmed one or two more lesions further down.
Then went onto lumber punch ect ect …
That was 6 years ago, I’ve had numerous MRI’s since then, on the brain & spine, so far all the brain scans are clear but theres been some activity in the spine.
My current neurologist now tells me that the tingling & numbness that I was experiencing all them years ago was most probably the start of the MS.
I tend to agree with him because as my MS has progressed onto SPMS so has this numbness/tingly feeling in my hands along with poor mobility.
My cousin has MS, and all her lesions are in the brain, nothing in the spine, my sister who again has MS had a completely clear brain until 18 months but then had a nasty relapse that struck in the brain stem, up until that point she was like me, all lesions in the spine, totally clear brain for over 20 years.
MS is very unpredictable, you may have a clear scan this week, have a relapse next week that produces a lesion that could very well show up on a new MRI scan.
Diagnosing MS though isn’t just left to MRI scans, at least it wasn’t in my case !