Las Vegas NowUnnecessary Brain MRI Screenings Could Help... or Hurt Patients

Unnecessary Brain MRI Screenings Could Help... or Hurt Patients

Would you want to know if you had a brain tumor? It's not as easy an answer as it seems. You can have a screening MRI, which can uncover hidden problems in the brain and does so, more than 10-percent of the time, according to new research.

But a local expert Eye on Health spoke with says it's still not a good idea to undergo screening without a good reason.

Judy Goatley had been feeling dizzy, when she finally decided to have an MRI. The test picked up a large brain aneurysm, which is basically a bubble on an artery that can burst. In her case, the screening may have saved her life.

"It was like the world had been lifted off my shoulders," said Goatley.

Desert Radiologists in Las Vegas and Henderson, perform at least 30 MRI scans every day. Those that focus on the brain are looked at by neuro-radiologist, Raj Agrawal. He says the high-tech scans often find something unexpected, otherwise referred to as "incidental."

"We have done an MRI for a vague reason -- the patient got dizzy or had a headache. And then we find small little strokes but the patient never knew he had a stroke," said Dr. Agrawal.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 7-percent of a group of 2000 volunteers who underwent an MRI, were found to have a brain abnormality, including 1-percent that had an aneurysm, yet had no symptoms.

Still, Dr. Agrawal does not believe in the notion of having a brain scan unless the patient, or their doctor, feel they have a very good reason.

"There is not literature to support that screening MRI has any benefit, and even when we're finding these incidental findings, most of them don't need to be treated," he said.

In fact, because of the complex nature of disorders in the brain, it's sometimes safer to watch and wait.

"Sometimes, the treatment for a brain disorder may be much worse than leaving the disease alone," said Dr. Agrawal. He says unwarranted screenings may cause unnecessary panic over benign conditions.

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