CT scans to detect brain metassis

is there somebody who can offer me some advice. its really starting to get to me so bad that im almost always depressed.

I can give you some advice. First of all there are three level of scans.

CT
MRI
PET

Each of these level goes deeper into the area that may have a detection. Now, if you have a CT scan, there is alot of thing that can be missed. Cancer for one. If you have an MRI, somethings my show up as shadows. But, with contrast it will glow white. This is usualy done for brakes and facet changes in you spine. ei.....disc problems etc....
Now, if the doctor seriously thinks cancer is detected, he will order a Pet scan. Why? Because a PET scan is the deepest X-Ray right now know to man. All cancer cells will radiate bright red on the image film. There is no doubt with a PET scan.
ALL should be done with contrast.

Hope this helped

try not to worry..i know its easy to say but wait and see...it could be alot of things and im sure you are in fine hands.wishing you luck.x

well do you think it would nessesary for me to ask for an MRI with contrast for my situation. Iv been getting these headaches all the time, they havnt really gotten any worse but they've changed a bit in the way they feel. Im only 17 and its been going on for 4 months without any really major new symptoms. sometimes ill feel like i had one to many drinks or something but thats the only other thing i can really thing of. I also have quite a bad case of TMJ

Yes, I do think it would be a good idea. Just for the fact of the on going headahes. It could be just something as simple as a cronic sinus infection. But, at least an MRI will go deep enough to show some question spots if you do have any. Then after reading those, doc may opt to do the PET. But please, don't be like I just to be. Worry about things that are not fact yet. Your TMJ may or may not be related. I think an MRI will ease your mind. You seem very tense about this. You are litterally making yourself sick. Not a good thing. Cross that bridge when you come to it. Chill for now and wait and see what comes from this.

Hugs,
Carrie

i know i should relax, andur right an MRI would ease my mind becxause it would rule out a secondary cause such a Tumor. however my Doctor doesnt believe it has anything to do with a tumor since i had no abnormalities on ym neurological exam and because of my age and so on. He said if the CT scan came back negative then he wouldnt even think twice about it, but i dont see why he thinks that because is often misses things and an MRI doesnt. Im going to see him in 2 weeks to get the results from my Ct scan and im going to try and push for any MRI. The headaches however are not "steady" they will usualy feel like a squeezing prsuure in the back of my head that can usualy be relved by stretching my neck and so on. But sometimes when im playing my guitar or slouched st the com,puter it will have a sudden shock of pain over the back top of my head lasting secondsadn it often scares me but i could be a muscle spasm

alright so i went to the chiropractor and had 2 visits. He said that there was three things wrong with my neck plus my TMJ which is a sever case he booked me for 8 appts and said that these head pains will go away afte5r treatment and he also said that the CT scan will detect anything if it is present and that i shouldnt have to go for an MRI. Do you think i should trust him?

Well, I am not one for chiropractors. I would rather see an Osteopath with a degree. I do agree with the rest of you plan and if there is some suspision, they can always do a deeper Pet scan. You can start with th CT and work up from there.
You are in my thoughts

These scanners were all devised from Tesler technology. One of the leading scientist in his generation. He was an Eienstien.

well i dont know if its the same in america but in canada we have medicare so headaches are generally not warranted for neuro imaging with a normal neurological exam. which i had twice now both normal. I had to beg for a CT scan and he assured me if i had something wrong it would be on the CT scan and my chiropractor said the same thing. I could still try for an MRI but i really dont see the point now when looking at it statistics wise. 2 in every 100 000 kids and teens will harbour a brain tumor and of those only 8% will have headache as an isolated finding. so with the negative CT Scan i really dont think its nessesary because im not even getting headaches just very short lasting sharp kinda feeling head pains and the chiro assured me it was because of my neck. as far as PET scan go they only order those if something is found on the MRI that resembels a tumor they wont order a PET scan unless they are almost certain there is something there. Which in my case im sure would be very very unlikely. but your posts did help me come to realise that.

You are right on. First if they do a CT and suspect a shadow that may or may not look remarkable, they then will go to an MRI w/o contrast. Sometimes without contrast is useless, others it will highlight the suspious area right away. Most doc's here in the U.S. do order w/o and do a comparison. If the the MRI comes back very conculsive of an anomilie, they will then do a PET which is the upmost conclusive for cancer tumors. But, if the tumor is benign, it will not radiate and light up red. It will only show as another dark showdow. PET is only used to rule out any kind of cancer cells the are malignient.
I know how hard it must be for you to have to beg and on your knees for a test. But, wait and see and don't stress yourself out about it. Sounds like you have had what needs to be done with perphaps nothing even found. Keep you chin up.
Besides, PET scans are worse the MRI's. They are loader and longer. But, I willl say this much. They are sure advanced technology IMHO. I worked at a hospital that had the privledge of having one of the first closed PET scanners. They are a beautiful piece of medical equipment.

Carrie

thank you very much for your advice. So if and when the CT scan comes back negative should i stop worrying and forget about the whole thing and see if the chiropractor will help. After all this chiro seems to be very good at what he does and really seems to know what hes doing and he did say that i had a sever case of w.e was wrong.