Dr. Vivek Chail
General Practitioner
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
Answered by
Medically reviewed by
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I have undergone a brain MRI today to rule out acoustic neuromas (among other causes). MRI was prescribed by my ENT doctor because I was very stressed. Gadolinium was injected during the MRI. It turns out the MRI was pretty normal, no tumor, no anomaly or else. I found some asymmetric white surface on a series of four pictures. I think it might be something as normal as blood circulation. However, I would like someone to definitely reassure me or tell me what it is since I am the kind of person to freak out easily concerning health.
I have chronic left ear problems since last year. Ear fullness when chewing, diagnosed as otitis media with effusion, untreated-bilateral, unconstant tinnitus for one month (worse when lying down, disappears when walking or doing activities outside), issues with balancing ear pressure (ear becomes blocked during car trips or when eating). I never had ear problems before. However, my sinuses are fragile and prone to irritation (air dryness). I frequently suffer from acid reflux, post nasal drip, sore throat and my septum is deviated. Currently, I am taking Nasacort, Solacy, and Levothyrox. The lab tests performed are thyroid hormones: High count of thyroid antibodies (Hashimoto's disease), hearing tests were done twice: one showed a loss in low frequencies. The latest one, done one week later (done by ENT) showed no loss, only minor damage at 4000 Hz in left ear. Tympanogram showed low compliance. MRI was strictly normal.
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
There is the right internal carotid artery near the right cavernous sinus in the area inside the circles in your images (attachment removed to protect patient identity). It is a normal image and the slight brightness is likely due to variation in the signals due to the magnetic field.
For more information consult a radiologist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/radiologist
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
Thank you for your fast and clear answer. So, I should stop worrying about this, everything is just the machine settings fault if it appears white?
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
The MRI image is generated by a mechanism of radiofrequency waves and is influenced by the magnetic field created in the MRI machine. Some areas can be brighter due to a combination of the MRI machine settings, the coil settings and the field homogeneity in the plane of imaging. These cause slight differences in the images which are ignored as they are termed artifacts or faults. In your case, the areas in the circle are brighter due to the machine settings.
The white and dark visualization of areas is a complex process. MRI images are of many types depending on the radio frequency waves. The images are named T1, T2, FLAIR, diffusion-weighted and few more. Normal and abnormal areas can appear dark or bright depending on the image sequence. In T1 sequence water is dark and in T2 water is bright but fat is bright in both T1 and T2. So there we have a complex logical interpretation of white and dark areas in the images.
For more information consult a radiologist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/radiologist
Was this conversation helpful?
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
General Practitioner
Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy
