My neurologist just scheduled me for an MRI, with a close up of the brainstem, and with contrast. What is she looking for? I have been trying to look all over the web to see what she's looking for. I'm already a wreck; between the constant pain, shocks, migraines, and next week's surgical consult.
She's looking for evidence that blood vessels or perhaps a small tumor or aneurism might be compressing one of your trigeminal nerves. The procedure is standard and it's nothing to sweat over.
Regards and best,
Red
Is this the MRI that would show blood vessels or veins?
do a google image search
of trigeminal neuralgia
this will show the anatomy of the
connections and the pains!!!
The MRI mentioned would show blood vessels -- arteries or veins -- in the vicinity of the brainstem. A FIESTA procedure should be able to resolve vessels down to about 0.66 mm in size. But even that procedure isn't 100% perfect.
Regards and best,
Red
Thanks, Red. I've had 3 MRIs that have had normal results. I was baffled when this MRI order came out of the blue.
I had an MRI that came back "normal," but my neuro recommended we move forward on the MVD anyway because he said that there are enough false negatives that, compared to a lifetime of dealing with the pain and drugs, he said in his view it would be "worth the likelihood that they would find something once they were physically in there."
I had the surgery May 21, and they did find the compression right at the brain stem—one vessel had essentially grown against the nerve. Afterward, he said it was obvious to see right away in the surgery, but that it never would have shown up in an MRI due to its location.
So, I wouldn't panic about the test, your doc is just hoping to find the culprit before going to the next step.