What to make of this....ideas needed!
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 10:13 am
Hi all, first visit here, I wonder if anyone has any ideas about this?
I have l'hermittes sign.
Following a bout of flu in Feb 2015 I had a spell of dizziness which started my referral process..to an ENT who said labrynthitis, then vestibular neuritis as I had no hearing damage and passed all the audio/visual tests. Told to do a load of neck exercises, vestibular rehabilitation for the ear/balance issue. I reckon 250,000 vigorous neck movements over 2 months. Perhaps these damaged my neck...but hold on...
I wasn't happy and asked for an mri. It was on a 1.5T lay down machine. My brain was clear and normal but the cervical spine showed patchy high T2 signals throughout the dorsal columns. Neuro said artefactual as did a very qualified radiographer. Original radiologist suggested B12 deficient. However tests dismissed this. As did the neurologist for MS.
To complicate it all I have severe foraminal stenosis in c3 to c7 with some spurs but the neuro surgeon saw no compression and said lhermitte's could not be caused by what he saw on a sitting down mri nor did this machine pick up the high signal though it was a 0.6T resolution. A further mri on the original 1.5T, and a neck flexion x-ray showed no cord impingement. Though I would say at this particular time I wasn't "feeling" L'hermittes. This third mri did however show the same high T2 signal which the original radiologist thought was genuine as it appeared on both axis of the scan. It showed no change in appearance from the first mri several months earlier.
Back to square one. I still have it, worst just as I get out of bed, all the way down both legs. Or if I have been sitting straight for a while. I avoid neck flexion.
I passed all the neuro physical exams with just slightly brisk reflexes. No Babinski, Hoffman, heel and toe, toe to ankle, eye movements, fingers to nose etc etc all ok.
Neuro said not MS. Spine guy not mechanical.
Well it has to be one or the other!
Getting on 9 months now and Lhermittes is still very present. I have no other symptoms I can confirm. Not affected by heat or hot baths, no fatigue etc. I had some short term pins and needles after the neck exercises in my hands and on my knees but these passed. Bit of muscle twitching in the legs but I cycle 40 miles a day. Only at rest though. My medical past is uneventful, I landed on my head ski-ing 20 years ago but the neuro dismissed this after looking at the x-rays taken at the time, I have sub clinical hypothyroidism which isn't treated and nothing I can recall as symptomatic historically.
I have no idea what's going on. A one off viral attack? Cervical stenosis? Damage that isn't resolved? MS?
Perhaps an LP is needed.
Any thoughts anyone?
I do have a degree of anxiety clearly, as this worry has been with me nearly a year. But as far as I know this symptom is not reproduce-able by the mind alone! Also I had extensive bloods done to exclude other auto immunes like Lupus. Lyme tested for too though I know this is unreliable, they took 18 phials of blood so I think most things that can be tested for have been. All clear save the thyroid TSH being 6.5 which in the UK is sub clinical, elsewhere medicated for...
Oh, 53 year old male!
Kind regards... and thanks for any thoughts! Oh I see the neuro again tomorrow...
I have l'hermittes sign.
Following a bout of flu in Feb 2015 I had a spell of dizziness which started my referral process..to an ENT who said labrynthitis, then vestibular neuritis as I had no hearing damage and passed all the audio/visual tests. Told to do a load of neck exercises, vestibular rehabilitation for the ear/balance issue. I reckon 250,000 vigorous neck movements over 2 months. Perhaps these damaged my neck...but hold on...
I wasn't happy and asked for an mri. It was on a 1.5T lay down machine. My brain was clear and normal but the cervical spine showed patchy high T2 signals throughout the dorsal columns. Neuro said artefactual as did a very qualified radiographer. Original radiologist suggested B12 deficient. However tests dismissed this. As did the neurologist for MS.
To complicate it all I have severe foraminal stenosis in c3 to c7 with some spurs but the neuro surgeon saw no compression and said lhermitte's could not be caused by what he saw on a sitting down mri nor did this machine pick up the high signal though it was a 0.6T resolution. A further mri on the original 1.5T, and a neck flexion x-ray showed no cord impingement. Though I would say at this particular time I wasn't "feeling" L'hermittes. This third mri did however show the same high T2 signal which the original radiologist thought was genuine as it appeared on both axis of the scan. It showed no change in appearance from the first mri several months earlier.
Back to square one. I still have it, worst just as I get out of bed, all the way down both legs. Or if I have been sitting straight for a while. I avoid neck flexion.
I passed all the neuro physical exams with just slightly brisk reflexes. No Babinski, Hoffman, heel and toe, toe to ankle, eye movements, fingers to nose etc etc all ok.
Neuro said not MS. Spine guy not mechanical.
Well it has to be one or the other!
Getting on 9 months now and Lhermittes is still very present. I have no other symptoms I can confirm. Not affected by heat or hot baths, no fatigue etc. I had some short term pins and needles after the neck exercises in my hands and on my knees but these passed. Bit of muscle twitching in the legs but I cycle 40 miles a day. Only at rest though. My medical past is uneventful, I landed on my head ski-ing 20 years ago but the neuro dismissed this after looking at the x-rays taken at the time, I have sub clinical hypothyroidism which isn't treated and nothing I can recall as symptomatic historically.
I have no idea what's going on. A one off viral attack? Cervical stenosis? Damage that isn't resolved? MS?
Perhaps an LP is needed.
Any thoughts anyone?
I do have a degree of anxiety clearly, as this worry has been with me nearly a year. But as far as I know this symptom is not reproduce-able by the mind alone! Also I had extensive bloods done to exclude other auto immunes like Lupus. Lyme tested for too though I know this is unreliable, they took 18 phials of blood so I think most things that can be tested for have been. All clear save the thyroid TSH being 6.5 which in the UK is sub clinical, elsewhere medicated for...
Oh, 53 year old male!
Kind regards... and thanks for any thoughts! Oh I see the neuro again tomorrow...