Posted by bleauberry on September 19, 2010, at 10:10:19
In reply to Re: MRI With + Without Contrast My Brain Done Today » Maxime, posted by Phillipa on September 18, 2010, at 23:55:46
So let's assume your MRI shows something wrong. Then what? It still doesn't do much to help you figure out why it went wrong or how to fix it.
Example. Someone with neurological/psychiatric symptoms gets an MRI. The scan shows lesions consistent with MS. So now they are put on MS drugs. Which are not curative...they don't fix the problem, only reduce symptoms or delay progression. And med choice is purely a guessing game with considerable risk.
I guess it is comforting to at least see the problem on a graph. I would like that.
Here's the thing though. There are plenty of cases of MS that began an antibiotic for some other unrelated reason. They Herxed, and then symptoms improved, and some even went into remission. Followup scans showed the initial MS lesions were disappearing or gone. It wasn't MS at all....it was Lyme the whole time!
So even with the detailed imaging and an expert interpreter, the diagnosis can be completely wrong. In the above cases, being put on immune system dampening drugs common to MS would be the totally wrong thing to do unless antibiotics were given along with it. MS treatment would actually strengthen and enforce the underlying disease.
I'm just using the MS example to illustrate.
I think an MRI can be helpful but needs to be kept in perspective....it is only one variable to be included in an overall clinical evaluation where symptoms and history take heavier bearing. All angles have to be considered, not just any single angle. They all tie together to paint the true picture.
poster:bleauberry
thread:962832
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100917/msgs/963012.html