The Aword

Hello,
Glad I found this site and all the up to date info!

I had spina bifida at birth, myelogram with Ethiodan (1966) followed by laminectomy surgery.
In post-op my temperature rose to 100F, I began vomiting, and my let cheek swelled up.
I was sent to isolation, and diagnosed with mumps.
(I have all my med transcripts from the hospital, so this is fact, not memory based)
The criteria for Arachnoiditis reads like my life story, except my pain levels aren't yet as bad as some I've read about here and on COFWA mail.

I've gone through the \"diagnosis by elemination\" regimen (EMG, Urodynamics, one MRI (head, ruled out MS), cystoscopy, scads of bloodwork) and the last neuro (after the EMG) said it's definitely in the spine, syringomyelia or Arachnoiditis/cycts and the sinal MRI will yield the most significant information. (As I've been saying all along....)

I'm scheduled for MRI of my spine next week, and I wonder if anyone can explain the preferred MRI parameters published in another thread.
\"T-weighted\" etc...

Also, my back xrays showed tiny dots that are slightly bigger than pinheads in the area.
They were thought to be clips or pins of some sort, but there is no mention in the surgical transcript of any clips being used.

Could these dots be residual Ethiodan with cysts formed around them?
Could ethiodan show up in xrays after almost 40 years?

Al

Well, I found my my answer re: T1 T2...

Thanks!

Al

www.theaword.org/index.php?option=com_co...79&Itemid=41

Hi Al
She's good isn't she? Got a more technical article on MRI's if you are interested. I couldn't understand half of it, so made her re-write it for normal people!
If I had sent it out like it was people would be asking me to explain and I don't understand it myself half the time.
Was Ethiodan oil or water based?
Bye for now
Kim
Sorry for the delay, having my kitchen re-fitted or not

Hi agian, Kim!
The Ethiodan was oil based in those days ('65).
I have the radiologist's report from back then confirming 4cc used.

Since my last post, I had an MRI on my neck (so far, head and neck) and the report found nothing of note in either. They still have to do my thoracic spine, and by the pattern of my neuropathy symptoms, that's where I suspect something will show up.

I had a somewhat strenuous weekend playing with my band and thus moving some somewhat heavy equipment, and my symptoms flared all week since. Fortunately, I'm on a LTD pension and work only when I can.

My work is sedentary, but I can't sit up for long without a lot of pain.
I try not to take it too easy because my once well-defined muscles are wasting and I think it's a use-it-or-lose-it thing.

Al

Hello Al from Canada, this is Louise from Canada
I was also injected with Ethiodan. As per procedure, all should have been aspirated back into the needle reservoiras well which was not done in my case as there is no mention of thatbeing done on my medical files, dating back to 1974. Ethiodan is the solution that was used in Canada. It has been put on a banned list of medications from Health Canada. Its USA name, which you will recognize is: Pantopaque.They are both the same just having different names, for different countries.
If you do research on Pantopaque, you will find a lot more info. It will scare you.
Anyhow, this is all I know about the dreaded solution.
Tourlou
Louise

Hi,

sorry this probably isn;t in time for you before your tests.
Briefly Ethiodan (aka Myodil, Pantopaque) hangs around in the body so will still be detectable 40 years later although it can be in small droplets (usually encysted) or a thin film that resembles a fat layer.
MRI needs to be high resolution with axial views which show the contents of the thecal sac (nerve roots) and detect clumping etc.

Hope that helps a little. I think Kim has put an article of mine re: MRI on the site somewhere.

all the best,

DocSarah