is it possible to have multiple sclerosis and have a negitive spinal tap and clear mri?

Question

i have had many simptoms of ms balance memory tiredness weakness stiffness numbness speech , my doctor even said many of my symptoms were consistant with a demylenating desease , i had an mri there was one leasion , my doctor said he thought it looked like a stroke the radioligest said it looked like an arachniod cyst .either of them agree with the other . my spinal tap how ever was negitive . so i wanted to know if it is possible that ms may just not have been detected at that time

Answer 1

Generally, you'll have many silent lesions (lesions that don't produce any symptoms) before you get a lesion that does produce symptoms. However, it is entirely possible (albeit unlikely) that the only lesion you have is producing symptoms. MS lesions are unique; that is, they are specific shapes, and nothing else produces lesions that look like MS lesions. You can also get white patches visible on an MRI from many other things, like migraines or earlier head trauma.

Spinal taps are not conclusive either, so that is not a foolproof test to either prove or disprove a diagnosis of MS.

Keep working with your neurologist, and if you haven't consulted a neurologist, please do.

Answer 2

Check out is this web site - I found it very useful - http://ailments.in/stroke.html