Follow up yearly exam after a bad exacerbation last year with brain and thoracic lesions. My dr, advised contrast no longer being used for MRIs. Did some research and this is being recommended . I found this:
“In none of the 507 images did the contrast-enhanced sequences reveal interval progression that was missed in the readouts of the nonenhanced sequences. …”
Researchers concluded that scans that employ a 3T MRI* (a higher powered scanner used in research), when used in combination with new artificial intelligence techniques, are “ready to supersede routine use of contrast material in most instances of follow-up investigations of patients with MS, reducing both imaging time and cost without missing new or enlarged lesions.”
The Radiological Society of North America announced the findings in a press release.
I wonder if this is the reason for the 3 month wait for the MRI? It also reduces the cost of the
imaging. This is Houston Tx in the medical center. Wait time used to be about 1-2 weeks. Things are changing. That's all folks .
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Brindisi1
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Don't know why wait time is so long,never used to be. When having exacerbation last yr, 1 month wait. Something is wrong here. Lots of MS Specialists houston, but wait is name of game. Tried to change to one dr & it was 8 months. Decided didnt need that. Oh well still breathing & springtime
I'm so sorry. These are ridiculous wait times. For routine tests, I have never waited longer than 2 weeks, and suspected exacerbations are less than 3 days. Actually, usually less than 24 hours. They shuffle patients around when it's necessary, although we do have 3 hospitals in this part of the county that work together. It doesn't matter whether contrast has been ordered or not; the wait is never very long.
My location is not affiliated with a hospital, it's a radiology clinic. Maybe we have more of those here than other cities. The cost is also half of what the university hospital charged for a 2T 3yrs ago 🤯
I asked my neurologist a few years ago if we could stop using the contrast, and he had no problem with that. He felt he could see what he needed in images without contrast.
Thank you for this insightful information! After 14 years in with MS, the use of "contrast" made my MRI'S so long I now have to take a mild sedative. Any reduction in time and less chemicals is a win win! 🙂
This is excellent news for any of us who've had to have an MRI and also had to jump through hoops to request not using contrast dye for the procedure - thank you for sharing!
- John, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA)
I had to have a 3t mri for my prostate and I had to travel to the other side of the county I normally get MRI done at hospital around the corner but they don't have a 3t
I had 1 Neurologist years ago, that stopped doing contrast after a study came out. But most Neurologists after have done it. Will be interesting to see what my next mri order will be whenever that is.
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Testing for MS and MRI differences
Symptoms but no MRI change?
