MRI didn't show anything?

[Chevone]

Hi!

In the middle of february i began to feel pain in my right abdominal. I was kind of constipated. I ended up in hospital two weeks later because of constipation. My surgeon told me I probably had scar tissue in terminal ileum (where I was operated three years ago). However he booked me for a MRI to view if there was any scar tissue.

Two weeks ago I got the result from the MRI. IT SHOWED NOTHING?? I was really confused because I still feel the specific pain in my right. Exactly the way and the place I recon my last stricture was.

The doctor said he wanted to have my liver checked up instead (my livervalues have never been better then they are now, which doesnt' make sense why he wants to have them checked with ultrasound). And if there are no problems with my liver we will have a colonoscopy.

I can't imagine having any problems with my liver. I am sure I have got a stricture in the same place as my last, but how come the MRI doesn't show anything?
Can the doctor have missed it?
Should I say I want to have the colonoscopy carried out as soon as possible or should I wait?

I am really confused right now.

 

[DustyKat]

I don’t know if this is the case with your MRI but it is possible to miss things on imaging.

In my daughter’s case she had a grossly normal abdominal CT scan one week prior to her ending up in emergency with a perforated and infarcted bowel. The damage to the bowel that caused that certainly didn’t happen in one week! I do think at times though that the distal ileum can sometimes be hidden when imaging is done. Unfortunately it is not a perfect science and at our end we have had our fair share of red herrings because of it, I can think of three major instances alone.

When you say you are having an ultrasound done is it of the previous resection site too? Ultrasound can be a very useful tool, particularly if they know the exact to target. Perhaps you could request they check the TI area as well if that isn’t on the referral.

If you are willing and able to go back for scanning and the wait time isn’t too long then an MRE would be a better test of the small bowel. It uses a different oral contrast to MRI, it is designed to line the wall of the small bowel rather than be absorbed by it.

I don’t think it would hurt to have the scope sooner rather than later.

Dusty. xxx

 

[SupportiveMom]

Great info DustyKat

I find it disappointing if they missed something but it is possible. See what happens with the ultrasound and then if nothing raise the question up with the doctor about the colonoscopy. The should at least see something in ultrasound is my guess. We had an MRE a month ago. The top part of my kid's colon was healed according to the report. We had an ultrasound Thursday and there is very active inflammation I could see during the testing. It was shocking to see in only a few weeks how fast things changed. 1 week though I would question.

 

[Chevone]

I'm sorry I didn't explain the ultrasound. The ultrasound is done to examine if there are anything wrong with my liver. They won't check my intestines with the ultrasound. But maybe I can ask them for checking the instestines also during the visit?

Maybe I should as my doctor to have another look at the MRI pictures. Would be horrible to be misdiagnosed.

Forgot to mention my english might not be so good

 

[SupportiveMom]

Ask for them to check and see if they can. Our ultrasound was for colon but the also checked liver pancreas etc. So maybe they will for you too.

 

[DustyKat]

If it says liver on the referral and nothing else then that is all they will do, it won’t be in the realm of the radiographer to change what the doctor has requested. If on the other hand it is an abdominal ultrasound they will look at all areas, in this case you can tell them your history and ask them to really focus on the TI.

Perhaps you could call the surgery and have them add TI to the referral if it is for liver only? Seems a shame to go for the ultrasound and not have them have a look while they are there.

Dusty. xxx

 

[GreenwichUK]

My small bowel MRI didn't show anything (although I reacted to the contrast which flushed out in minutes) but a White Blood Cell scan a few weeks later did show inflammation. I guess no test is infalable.