Can an MRI scan of the brain be normal if you have MS?

by **MontyB** on Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:05 pm

I am suspected as having MS because of numbness in my legs.

My brain MRI came back normal.
Does this exclude MS?

:?:

by **MSE1** on Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:36 pm

The simple answer to this question is no…..but........

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has strict criteria for diagnosis. The most commonly used criteria are known as the “Mc DonaldCriteria” which werenpublished in the journal “Annals of Neurology” in2001 (Ann Neurol2001;50:121–127).

A table summarizing these criteria can be viewed at http://www.asktheneurologist.com/Multip ... rosis.html

In some cases of MS the brain MRI can be normal although this is not a common occurrence.

In fact the diagnosis of MS can still be made without performing an MRI, although this is rarely the situation in situations where MRI scanning is readily available.

MSExpert 1