Why Would My Doctor Order a Brain Scan?

Brain scans are a crucial tool in diagnosing and monitoring a wide range of health issues. If your doctor orders a brain scan, it's typically to rule out specific conditions or to confirm a suspected diagnosis. Here we will explore the reasons behind brain scans and the types of scans your doctor might order.

Reasons for Ordering a Brain Scan

Several reasons might prompt your doctor to order a brain scan. These include diagnostic purposes, follow-up evaluations, and ruling out specific conditions that could be causing your symptoms.

For example, if you are experiencing headaches, memory problems, or other neurological symptoms, a brain scan can help identify any potential issues such as tumors, strokes, or other anatomical defects.

In my case, during my treatment, my doctor ordered a brain scan to rule out the presence of tumors. Brain scans, such as CT scans, MRI scans, and nuclear brain scans, are used to see the vessels and to get a more detailed look at the arteries to the brain with an angiogram.

Examples of Conditions Diagnosed with Brain Scans

Brain MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are highly versatile and can diagnose a wide variety of diseases and anatomical defects that lead to a multitude of neurological disorders. Here are some specific conditions that MRIs might be used to diagnose:

When to Order an MRI

MRIs can be ordered for several reasons:

To view the effects of strokes, brain aneurysms, or burst blood vessels that can cause swelling and bleeding. MRI can also be used to locate damage to the brain after head trauma. To assess brain edema (swelling) during infections like meningitis. To assess brain size and defects caused by dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. To locate brain tumors. As part of the diagnostic workup for nervous system disorders, such as Multiple Sclerosis and epilepsy. Diagnosing inner ear canal pathologies. Diagnosing certain hormonal disorders caused by the release of hormones from glands in the brain.

In my case, my doctor ordered an MRI to rule out the possibility of an acoustic neuroma, a small, benign tumor that can grow slowly on the vestibulocochlear nerve and impair hearing on one side.

After the scan results came back, it was confirmed that the hearing loss on one side was unrelated to an acoustic neuroma. This was a relief for me, as it helped us to focus on other potential causes of my hearing loss.

Importance of Brain Scans in Treatment Protocol

Brain scans are not just important for diagnosing conditions; they can also help guide the treatment plan. By providing detailed images of the brain, scans can help doctors design effective treatment protocols for various maladies, whether they're serious or less severe.

It's understandable to feel scary when undergoing an MRI, but it's often better to know what might be causing your symptoms rather than not knowing. This knowledge can lead to the best possible treatment plan.

As a side note, after examining my late wife's brain MRIs during her treatment for an aggressive brain tumor, I became extremely familiar with brain scans. I made sure to scrutinize my own MRI images carefully, even if not to the extent of a radiologist, just to see if there were any questionable areas.