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What Does My MRI Scan Report Indicate?
Brief Answer:
An angiography is the next step.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
One image is not enough to evaluate a whole exam. MRI includes often hundreds of images obtained through different techniques (called sequences). However the report was well detailed and in the single image you provide the tortuous dilated vessels are well visible so one can create a good idea.
A dural fistula or AVM of the spinal can well justify your symptoms of leg weakness and bladder issues. These malformations can cause increasing neurological deficits leading to invalidity so further steps are necessary.
The next step now is another exam called angiography performed usually by neuroradiologists. It consists in entering with a catheter from an artery in the groin going up into the vessels supplying the spinal cord and injecting contrast. That way it is possible to identify with precision the artery feeding the malformation and its architecture. Angiography is the gold standard for the diagnosis of such malformations, MRI doesn't provide sufficient information to take therapeutic decisions.
After the angiography further decisions on treatment will be taken by a team of neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons. Nowadays the preferred method of treatment is by the neuroradiologists, by entering in the same way as with angiography and injecting a substance to close the artery feeding the malformation. However at times depending on the malformation characteristics on the angiography that is not possible and surgery is needed.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
An angiography is the next step.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
One image is not enough to evaluate a whole exam. MRI includes often hundreds of images obtained through different techniques (called sequences). However the report was well detailed and in the single image you provide the tortuous dilated vessels are well visible so one can create a good idea.
A dural fistula or AVM of the spinal can well justify your symptoms of leg weakness and bladder issues. These malformations can cause increasing neurological deficits leading to invalidity so further steps are necessary.
The next step now is another exam called angiography performed usually by neuroradiologists. It consists in entering with a catheter from an artery in the groin going up into the vessels supplying the spinal cord and injecting contrast. That way it is possible to identify with precision the artery feeding the malformation and its architecture. Angiography is the gold standard for the diagnosis of such malformations, MRI doesn't provide sufficient information to take therapeutic decisions.
After the angiography further decisions on treatment will be taken by a team of neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons. Nowadays the preferred method of treatment is by the neuroradiologists, by entering in the same way as with angiography and injecting a substance to close the artery feeding the malformation. However at times depending on the malformation characteristics on the angiography that is not possible and surgery is needed.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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