About B. Todd Troost, MD Expertise vertigo, benign positional vertigo, BPPV, and related ailments.
Experience
Past/Present clients More than 2000 patients with vertigo.
Chairman of Neurology Department for 18 years and examiner for American Board of Neurology for over 25 years. Extensive information is provided on my commericial free website at www.ivertigo.net
Expert: B. Todd Troost, MD Date: 4/1/2004 Subject: mri
Question Hi,
I'm from Australia. Have rocking dizziness,fullness in the ears,pressure in the head and sometimes throbbing. Otoneurologist said nothing wrong in ears. Had mri without contrast. Was told it was 4 sections. What does that mean. Were they doing my brain or just my ears?Anyway what I would like to ask is exactly what does an mri without contrast show as opposed to one with contrast. All I was told by my doctor was it didn't show up any nasties. This dizziness came on as a result of vomiting. Maybe I ballooned an artery in my head or something. Do you think I should ask for mri with contrast.Very hard to get mri here under public health,cause it costs the government too much.
Thanks
Tanya
Answer Dear Tanya:
MRI's with contrast are not necessary for most patients, I wouldn't bother. It is unlikely that the MRI would show something in the inner ear where your problem is likely located. I am not sure what they mean by 4 sections.
I wonder is you dislodged some little ear stones (otoliths) during the vomiting and developed BPPV ( benign positonal paroxysmal vertigo) You can read about it on my website at: http://ivertigo.net/vertigo/verdiagnosis.html#BPPV
