Artifact in MRI

[asanders]

I know that some of the discs mess up MRI's, and I should have probably spoken at length with the imaging facility to see if they could change things to get a better image. I get that the black, where it looks like vertebrae is missing, is distortion from my Prodisc-C, but what on earth is going on with my spinal cord? That really freaks me out!!

[Harrison]

Sorry to ask the obvious: what does the radiologist report say?!

[asanders]

Originally Posted by Harrison

Sorry to ask the obvious: what does the radiologist report say?!

I don't have a report yet. They gave me the disc with the images right as I exited the MRI machine. I called my neurosurgeons office and the secretary said someone would call me when they got out of surgery, but I haven't had a call yet. Just wanted to know I'm not crazy, or seeing things, but my spinal cord looks like it's being sucked between my vertebrae!

[Harrison]

As you may know, the reports are usually available soon after the imaging study; you can obtain these reports in person (usually) or often by phone.

It would not be wise for any of us to speculate on on the image, but I can see the anomaly that you are referring to -- so pls do update us when you get some definitive information!

[asanders]

Actually, I didn't know they were available rather quickly (so thank you for that). I will call tomorrow to see if I can get my report.
Since it was a private imaging place I went to, do I call that facility? Or wait till my surgeons office has the report? (sorry for what may be viewed as silly questions!)

[annapurna]

You should be able to call the imagin center to get the report. While Rich is right that we shouldn't speculate, if it would help you sleep better tonight, the problems you're seeing in the image could be artifacts and nothing of concern. It could be a problem but it isn't necessarily one.

[asanders]

Someone from my NS' office called me to give me the results.. They told me that the oddity in my spinal cord is from the artifact (thank goodness!), but due to the messiness they aren't able to read anything from that area.. Which makes me angry that I wasn't more proactive in making sure it was scanned correctly. I just assumed that since the imaging center works in conjunction with my NS office, they would do it. Very frustrating.

[Hooch]

Arghh it sucked out my spinal cord!

You won't be able to get an mri scan of the disc without artifacts, cos of the difference in chemical make up of your body and the materials the disc is made from. You'll have to get an x-ray or a cat scan.

I don't know why you were sent for one actually, unless they wanted to get a look at those levels above it.

[annapurna]

The artifact will show up on CT scans as well. There are ways to work around it a little but they require a patient and knowledgeable radiologist to work out the protocol. It also requires that rarer commodity of finding a way to pay the radiologist to be patient and knowledgeable rather than simply cycle the patients through as fast as possible because insurance isn't paying him/her enough.

[Hooch]

Righto, from my limited knowledge I thought mri worked on the magnetic resonance of C or H isotopes, which presumable aren't present in whatever artificial disc, so can't be imaged. How do they work around it?

I understand that cat scan is lots of x-rays to build a 3d image, so should be no problems there?

Btw sorry for laughing Asanders, I can understand your distress, but that was a new one!