How long between MRI and diagnoses of Acoustic Neuroma.

[Ash2021]

Hi I have had problems with dizziness and feeling off balance since I had covid in January this year, I also have tinnitus. I was diagnosed by a GP with labyrinthitis. My symptoms evolved a bit from being constantly off balance and nauseous to rushes of a sort of falling feeling that only lasted a few seconds. My G.P then said it sounded like said BPPV and finally referred me to ENT. I had a long wait but was finally seen in August. My hearing test showed slight hearing loss in my right ear so he referred for an MRI. The consultant seemed quite dismissive of my symptoms and said it was just a routine referral and he didn't believe I had a problem with my ears. He said I would receive the results through the post in due course but he was discharging me back to the GP. I finally had an MRI in October 10 months after my symptoms started and today around 5 weeks after the MRI I have received a letter for another appointment with the ENT consultant in 3 weeks time. I still have not had the results from my MRI. I wasn't expecting to see the consultant again at all so am now feeling panicked. I can only assume they've found something on the MRI and need to see me to discuss the results. A quick Google search has lead me to acoustic neuromas. Would this timeline sound likely in the case of a neuroma or would they have contacted me sooner if it was that. I was expecting my results within 2 weeks of the MRI and when I heard nothing I had assumed that no news was good news and everything must have been ok. If anybody could offer me any insight into the timelines of their diagnoses it would be greatly received. I'm just trying to reassure myself it's probably nothing but I'm not really sure what else would show on an MRI other then a tumour.

[Hidden]

Hi Ash2021.I hope you have received your results and it was good news!

[Lois_Howell in reply to Hidden]

An Acoustic Neuroma doesn’t seem to be considered ‘urgent’ as it’s benign and slow growing. When mine was diagnosed 17 years ago my GP failed to recognise the symptoms and wanted to prescribe steroids and anti depressants. I had private health cover at that time so a referral to a neurologist was really quick. He dismissed my symptoms as ‘nothing sinister’. I didn’t see an ENT consultant until my left side hearing was completely compromised. I can’t recall exactly how long I waited to get the MRI results, an appointment came by post, there was a 3 week gap from receipt of appointment to the actual appointment so I too thought no news is good news, turned out it wasn’t!! No need to panic though, there are lots of people on ‘watch and wait’. Hope things turn out well for you, someone told me, ‘if you’re going to have a brain tumour an AN is the one you’d choose!’

[LisaBod]

It took a few visits to the drs before I was referred for an MRI. I had MRI in the morning and the hospital call me that night asking time to visit the ENT consultant the next day. I have always found that if you need to wait for results then you have nothing to worry about. The consultant would have access to them immediately should anything be wrong

Good luck with your appointment and please stop worrying

[musicman5]

I'm so sorry for what you are dealing with and hope that you have an answer my now. After experiencing imbalance, coordination issues and hearing loss in my left ear, my doctor sent me for an MRI last August. She then called me within an hour of the MRI to say that it showed a large(4.5 cm.) AN that was pushing on my brain stem. I was scheduled for surgery and had it removed on Sept. 20 and have been working on rehab and recovery since that time. Chuck