No plaques

[kimredbird]

I have been diagnosed with menieres, cervical and lumbar stenosis, spondylosis, radicular narrowing in cervcal spine. I had shingles, ITP, and Mono as a child A new dr is considering TN.  All my symptms fall in line with MS but brain MRI's wit and w/o contrast are fine. Could I have MS with no MRI findings? Or could internal recurrent shingles be bringing about all my weird pains, concentration issues, and offbalance issues?

Thanks

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Kim.  I, too am sorry that you slipped down so quickly.  We have a flying forum these days.

You ask if MS can exist without MRI findings.  Many, even most neurologists will say no to that question, but some will say yes.  I believe that MS can uncommonly exist without MRI findings.  This is especially true if the MRI machine was of poor strength or quality.  However, it may be extremely difficult to get a diagnosis.  There would have to be very clear evidence of 2 or more attacks separated by at least 30 days, and 2 or more "clinical lesions."  Clinical lesions are evidence seen on the neuro exam of abnormalities that could only occur if there is a demyelinating lesion in the central nervous system.  An example is hyperactive reflexes.  Another is nystagmus which is shown by testing to be of central origin.  The tests called evoked potentials can also provide evidence of CNS damage.  

You do have quite a laundry list of diagnoses.  The Cervical and lumbar stenoses should be verifiable by MRI.  The canal would be narrowed and there would be obvious pressure on the spinal cord.  Also, the MRI would show if there was pressure or impingment on the nerve roots as they left the cord to go into the body.  Canal stenosis is definitely a mimic for MS.  But, also, a person with MS can have canal stenosis.  Nerve problems caused by nerve root pressure should be identifiable by testing of the nerve signals out in the body.

We have a member, LLWB (Maggie) who had similar problems and for a while it looked like she had MS.

The Meniere's disease is a peripheral problem in the inner ear.  It is NOT caused by MS.  It is characterized by flucctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo.  There is a test that can document the presence of excess fluid in the organs of the inner ear.  It is called an ECoG or Electro CochleaGram.  Few places do this test, but centers that have a Vestibular Center and docs who specialize in Neuro-otology often can do it.

What makes the doctor's believe this is Meniere's?  What kind of testing have they done?

I gather you have face pain?  Trigeminal neuralgia is many times more frequent in people with MS than it is in people without MS.

The childhoold history of shingles and ITP would not have any bearing on developing MS, but having had mono (real mononucleosis - not just evidence of an Epstein-Barr infection) would.  People with MS are more likely to have had Mononucleosis than people without MS.  I have never actually heard of "internal" shingles, but the Herpes Zoster virus (the one responsible for chickenpox and shingles) is not implicated in triggering MS.

Multiple Sclerosis has a characteristic pattern of symptoms and problems.  The way the symptoms appears and/or disappear gives more information about whether or not they may represent MS, then does just having a list of symptoms.  MS has many mimics.  Part of making the diagnosis involves a careful search for all of the many diseases that look like MS.

Why don't you tell us your story?  Tell us how it began and how the various symptoms show up.  What testing has been done and what are your doctors thinking?

Again, Welcome to the forum

Quix

[sllowe]

Hi there,

Welcome to the MS forum.

I'm sorry your post slipped to the 2nd page, and we didn't get a chance to meet you.

I really don't know enough about those dx's to speak to them, but we do have some here who are more knowledgeable.  My 1st thought is yes w/the off balance due to menieres and cervical spine narrowing.... Hope others will add on

What did the Dr. say about these findings? Are you getting any help?

Thanks again for coming along,
shell