Posted on 03/19/2005 6:26:21 PM PST by Servant of the 9
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Any physician knows what that space is. Are you talking of some other structure on the scan. No neurologist would make statements about the clinical state of the patient based on one cut on a ct scan knowing nothing else. All he would say is there is no tumor, that kind of thing. He could not say she was comatose or in a PVS.
That's okay.
We're all a little...no...a *lot* upset right now.....:)
Not only that, I know to avoid any strange Blancmange I may happen upon.
Not a radiologist, but the large black areas are enlarged ventricles, likely secondary to the fact that there is a very little or no normal brain tissue present. There also appears to be a ventriculostomy tube in place which is the bright white area in the middle (likely a portion of a CSF shunt), although on one slice I can't be sure. I should also say that you might see a somewhat similar picture in people/children with congenital brain anomalies (ie, born with a brain that never developed and formed properly). I can't tell you if that is really her CT scan, but I can tell you that the type and amount of brain damage you are seeing in this picture is devastating and irreversible.
A pet scan would be better than either. It shows the function and metabolism taking place iin the brain. You have seen the colors and how they light up when a person responds to stimuli.
I think the PET would show the most. Just knowing the anatomy as you see on the CT or the MRI is not as good. Although they do functional MRIs that show more. PETS are now available everywhere. We have one in little old BR.
I am not a radiologist, but I have seen quite a large number of CAT, MRI, and PET scans of people with extensively compromised CN systems.
This looks nowhere near as bad as I was led to believe.
the ventricles are huge, yes. however, there appears to be extensive extant normal density neocortex. It would help to have the full sectional series to build a better understanding of what is damaged and what isn't.
And flying whales! Don't forget flying whales!
I don't know about her function based on that scan. Do you think it is possible to say with certainty that she is in a persistant veg state or comatose based on that pic.
Seems you can say she has had devastating brain loss from terrible insult. But is she anything approaching that which we have been led to believe, with any degree of certainty. I wouldn't say so without an extensive neuro eval and I do think a PET would help alot.
Just my opinion!
And b4 any jerk tells me thanks for nothing simply b/c I'm not a radiologist, well, I know enough to answer the question, and I've spent many months working with neuroradiologists, and I hope to end up in a career in neuroradiology. I'm sure a radiologist could tell you a little bit more, like the specific names of some of the smaller structures, but the major finding is the lack of normal brain.
I forgot about PETs. I've seen them and they're amazing. I read a report about prayer that had PETs. When praying, part of the brain "lights" that doesn't at any other time. It was just amazing to see.
Thanks.
You're also good at understatements. ;-)
yep, I have seen ct scans of very old people worse than this and they are walking and talking but demented.
That's about all I can deduce from this image of Terri's brain.
yep.
I do believe it would be a very, VERY good idea to put Terry through a full PET workup with data presented in 3D model format, time-stamped, and tracking stimulus response patterns.
Thanks for your input.
They are. And they can show if a person is responding! In the PVS the person is supposedly unresponsive. I would love to see a pet when Terri's mom walked in the room or when she was supposedly responding. That would tell us so very much. And it is easy, non invasive and quick. And would tell us what parts of the brain were able to function.
I've learned that in some cases the brain can rewire itself many times during a persons life, especially in the instance when parts of the brain suddenly quit functioning. Not true in all cases, but the brain is a complex network that man is only beginning to understand through exploration.
Did you read Salamander's entire comment? HIS looks like that and he's a Freeper!
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