is a lumbar puncture the definitive test for ms?

Question

i recently had a lumbar puncture which ruled out ms and lymes disease-but the same symptoms remain-veritgo,headaches,muscle tics-ringing in ears-any help please thanks

Answer 1

well,
regarding lumbar puncture (LP) in MS
unfortunately LP is not a definitive diagnostic test. some 95% of people with MS has a positive test (OLIGOCLONAL BAND POSITIVE) but it does not mean that the test is always trur positive. So we have two problems with LP: 1- Some 5-10 percent of MS patients are negative on this test. Positive test still needs to be proved by other tests.

Regarding MS:
Again unfortunately we do not have a single test for MS . MRI is the most powerful test but we need to try all the possible tests when the diagnosis is in doubt. MRI,LP, Blood tests, Evoked Potential tests are available possibilities but remember that a good physical exam is very important.

Regarding YOU!
what did drive your doctor to go for MS tests for you? do you really have a true vertigo? if this is a vertigo not dizziness then you can visit a ENT specialist. Finding the cause of vertigo in the hand of an ENT man should not be a tough job.
I don't want to say that MS is not a possibilty but from a short history you give in this post, nobody can help you ! i am sorry.

just for your information:
to diagnose MS correctly:

"There must have been two attacks at least one month apart. An attack, also known as an exacerbation, flare, or relapse, is a sudden appearance of or worsening of an MS symptom or symptoms which lasts at least 24 hours.
There must be more than one area of damage to central nervous system myelin—the sheath that surrounds and protects nerve fibers. The damage to myelin must have occurred at more than one point in time and not have been caused by any other disease that can cause demyelination or similar neurologic symptoms"
Source for the quoted remarks: http://www.imaginis.com

I hope this be of some help. If you give us more clue somebody including myself will reflect with a more detailed response!
good luck
I am an MD

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

The checks for Multiple Sclerosis are: MRI mind & backbone, evoked potentials and a lumber puncture. The MRI is quite often the primary scan a healthcare professional/neurologist will participate in, despite the fact that it is just ninety% correct principally on the establishing of the ailment. Evoked potentials are even much less correct however are priceless in seeing how MS is effecting specific components of the frame. Around 70% of sufferers with MS have irregular EPs. A lumber puncture is probably the most correct and definitive scan (ninety eight%) for achieving a analysis, nonetheless it's normally played final as has competencies dangers and is invasive. Hope that helped :)

Answer 4

I have had several spinal taps in the past since I had Spinal meningitis as a child. Testing the spinal fluid does give doctors an indication if MS is present. You continued vertigo, ringing in the ears could have other reasons. Have you been to a Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to get tested for inner ear problems? A specialist can do balance and disorder tests to check for Meniere's disease. Read about this in webmd.com I hope you feel better soon. Being dizzy is no fun. I know. Oh, on some days I just take a antivert (prescription drug for dizzyness) and it helps.

Answer 5

The lumbar puncture is ONE of the test for MS but a definitive answer will come with an MRI on your brain and/or spinal cord where lesions appear. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Lumbar puncture is one of the tests for Multiple sclerosis. Please check whether your symptoms are similar to Meniere's disease.
Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear affecting balance and hearing, characterized by abnormal sensation of movement (vertigo), dizziness, loss of hearing in one or both ears, and noises or ringing in the ear (tinnitus). If so, please consult an ENT specialist.
Please see the webpages for more details on Multiple sclerosis and Meniere's disease.

Answer 7

Have you had a CT scan? Brain lesions can have the same effects. This is also another way to rule out MS

Answer 8

yes