MRI and lesions

[Earth]

Hi, I read on certain forums that MS lesions tend to only appear on MRIs after about 6 months. Is that true? I had a variety of neurological symptoms that started in January, and had MRIs (brain and full spine) and EVP (sensomatory) in late May. Everything was clear, but now I am thinking that maybe it was far too early to see anything? The brain MRI used a contrast agent. Thank you in advance!

Earth

[jimmylegs]

i wouldn't necessarily try to align symptoms with mri results. while you have symptoms without lesions, in the past some have had no symptoms, with diagnostic lesions noted only at autopsy http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneu ... act/567710 that said, yes that is an older study - some research has indeed aligned mri results with patient status.

i don't know what the statement 'ms lesions only appear on MRIs after about 6 months' is supposed to mean. 6 months after what exactly? a suspicious symptom, a clinically measurable inflammatory event?

imho yes when symptoms are felt it's time to act. ie to invest energy in pursuit of health while the diagnostic picture is unclear. waiting around and making no healthful lifestyle changes after symptoms begin to appear is, to my mind and in my xp, a recipe for a future chronic illness dx.

my 2 cents!

[ElliotB]

you may find this of interest:

http://www.msdiscovery.org/news/news_sy ... -meets-eye

You can have symptoms with a normal MRI and be symptom free with a MRI that shows plaques.

[centenarian100]

Hi, I read on certain forums that MS lesions tend to only appear on MRIs after about 6 months. Is that true? I had a variety of neurological symptoms that started in January, and had MRIs (brain and full spine) and EVP (sensomatory) in late May. Everything was clear, but now I am thinking that maybe it was far too early to see anything? The brain MRI used a contrast agent. Thank you in advance!

Earth

It is not true that there is a 6 month delay in MRI findings after clinical symptoms. In fact, the majority of people with MS will have MRI findings long before their first clinical attack.

The MRI is less sensitive for things such as optic neuritis and mild transverse myelitis, but the fact that your MRIs are normal suggest that your symptoms likely have a cause other than MS.