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Author Imaging to rule out pancoast tumor, etc
Wug

2005-12-14, 6:00 pm

First of all, thanks for your previous help. I got a nice tan and am
waiting for my results :-) I have another question for you if you don't
mind...

A friend has been trying to get to the bottom of a unilateral, painfull,
ptosis. She's made the rounds (GP, Opthamologist, Neurologist)
and had numerous tests (eye exams, blood tests, head CT, brain
and orbits MRI, chest XRAY) which provided no answers. She
doesn't have all the symptoms of Horner's Syndrome, but that has
crossed her mind and she has heard that some lung tumors don't
show up on plain XRAYs (which didn't exactly comfort her, a long
time smoker). When she goes back to the doctor she wants to
discuss other imaging options. I did a quick google and I see
references to CTs without contrast, CTs with contrast, MRIs, and
EBCTs.

Could anyone shed some light on which option or options would be
good in terms of checking for a pancoast tumor and other potential
chest related causes of Horner's symtpoms?
Ray Laughton

2005-12-15, 1:02 am

Wug <wug@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> First of all, thanks for your previous help. I got a nice tan and am
> waiting for my results :-) I have another question for you if you don't
> mind...
>
> A friend has been trying to get to the bottom of a unilateral, painfull,
> ptosis. She's made the rounds (GP, Opthamologist, Neurologist)
> and had numerous tests (eye exams, blood tests, head CT, brain
> and orbits MRI, chest XRAY) which provided no answers. She
> doesn't have all the symptoms of Horner's Syndrome, but that has
> crossed her mind and she has heard that some lung tumors don't
> show up on plain XRAYs (which didn't exactly comfort her, a long
> time smoker). When she goes back to the doctor she wants to
> discuss other imaging options. I did a quick google and I see
> references to CTs without contrast, CTs with contrast, MRIs, and
> EBCTs.
>
> Could anyone shed some light on which option or options would be
> good in terms of checking for a pancoast tumor and other potential
> chest related causes of Horner's symtpoms?

Chest CT (with and without contrast) does seem to be missing..
MRI of the brain/cranial nerves might also help, but if she's a long
time smoker first the CT of the chest.

RL
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