Is an MRI of the brain the only way to find out if a person has MS? If there are no markers in the brain does it mean that MS is not present? My understanding is that MS markers can also be found in the neck and spinal cord. If one only has a brain scan could these other markers be missed?
Theoretically, yes, you could miss cervical lesions if you have brain-only, but they are incredibly rare on their own. Most MSers have either brain-only or brain + cervical spine.
Thank you for that. I have been diagnosed with ME many years ago but often wondered if it could be misdiagnosed MS as the symptoms are so similar. A recent brain scan showed no signs of MS which led me to wonder if signs elsewhere may have been missed. I was wondering about pursuing another MRI of neck and spine but it would seem unnecessary to do so.
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The fact that years have passed and there’s still no scan evidence of MS does sound reassuring on that score at least.
Yes I agree. I know that the two conditions have remarkably similar symptoms but are caused through different factors. So I will pursue that Avenue instead and see what help I can find. Thank you for your interest
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