AboutDina Q Goldin, Ph.D. Expertise Information and advice for Acoustic Neuroma patients who would like honest patient-to-patient interaction about their symptoms or about treatments and related medical procedures. If you are unsure if your experience is "normal", or are wondering whether your information is complete, feel free to ask.
Experience I am an Acoustic Neuroma patient and the founding editor
of the Acoustic Neuroma Patient Archive (http://www.ANarchive.org).
Question I have asked questions previously about this ... went to see Neurologist about
facial numbness, and she said she is going to do an MRI. Said she wouldn't
have bothered because CN system check in office was normal; however she
said because of previous history of vertigo, she wanted just a plain old scan
of the brain. I am going back to my family MD to get referred for the MRI
(neurologist doesn't have privileges in my town for this). Should I discuss
with him having an additional component to the MRI with contrast checking
the brain stem and auditory canals? The neurologist said she just wanted a
plain old scan without contrast of the brain.
Answer Has your neurologist ruled out AN for you on the basis of what they already know? MRIs are the best way to diagnose (or to rule out) ANs. Unless your neurologist has a VERY good reason to be sure that you do not have AN, and I suspect they don't, it must be checked with the MRI. But for this, the MRI MUST be done with a gadolinium contrast. Please insist on it.
