United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Does anyone know if a MRI or Ct Scan will show nerve damage. Will it show if there was an avulsion even though Ella is almost 4 years old?
Trying to figure out how I can find out if she had an avulsion or not. Since she recovered fairly well without needing nerve surgery does that rule it out?
If she had an MRI now would it be able to give me these answers?
Any info would be great!
~Krista~

MRI will tell ya. An avulsion does not dissappear. Once that nerve is torn out you will be able to see it

I had my first brachial plexus MRI at 62 and you can see it in my spinal cord.
Kath

Make sure you find a good MRI machine. We had an MRI for our son at 3 months old, which didn't show any avulsions, but some of the doctors who saw it also said it was pretty poor quality and resolution, and wasn't worth much. They didn't feel he had any avulsions because of recovery, but said that if he did, that MRI probably would've missed them anyway (of course, telling us *after* putting him through general anesthesia and the whole horrible process...grrr).

CT myelogram is also supposed to be pretty good for looking for avulsions. This is a CT scan with dye contrast injected into the spine to better show spinal cord and nerve roots.

Kate

Thanks for your replies.

I wouldn't let her go through a myelogram, those are too invasive for me. Makes me too nervous.

Thank you again.

~Krista~

You might also contact Rick Abbott in New York. He has a very high resolution MRI machine, and says he can visualize neuromas and scar tissue, along with avulsions. He had a paper out on it last year, and it seemed pretty promising.

Kate

Dr. Abbott is the one who ordered my MRI.
He was looking at the films with a radiologist.
I had them taken at Beth Israel Hospital before they closed the Inn and the bpi clinic.
Kath

krista, we didnt know gabby had avulisions(yes there was more than 1!) until dr. Waters opened her up and when he did he disovered the avulsions and that her injury was one of the most severe, hence 8 1/2 hour surgery with nerve transplants from legs etc. phrenic nerve still not back yet. We go for mri next month.
mri sees everything.
michele

Kath,
Did you experience any "tremors" when having your mri done?

Tracy

Tracy
I am not sure what you mean by tremors?
I wanted to shake but I was all but taped down to keep my arm and neck in the right position. I was in the tube for about 1-1/2 hours...
It was a very long ordeal because I could not more.
They wanted my arm and neck in just the right position.
I had to wait for one technician to show up for work because he was considered the best for bpi.

Kath