[gardencatz]

I find it peculiar that people are willing to put so much weight on a single bone scan, while at the same time insisting that a single CT-scan shouldn't be used to assess her PVS state and that other test should have been conducted for a more complete assessment. Can't have it both ways. :-)

Not the same thing. Diagnosing bone trauma is much less complicated than diagnosing any brain abnormality. The CT scan would be enough if that was the current standard for diagnosing PVS and provided an accurate diagnosis most of the time. It doesn't. All the following are necessary for a diagnosis (from a letter by Dr. Felder, Board Certified Neurologist and attending neurologisit at U of Pittsburg Med. Ctr. posted on the justice for Terri website): EEG (electroencephalogram) showing cortical brainwave activity, PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan to show a reduction in cerebral metabolism, SSEP (Somatosensory Evoked Potential) to show brainstem neurophysiologic functioning and, MRI scan of her brain to show anatomical disruption. Most neurologists also recommend spending time with the patient (i.e. over a period of months, not 45 minutes). Dr. Felder's letter also expressed concern that Terri's EEG and CAT scan were several years old and wouldn't show changes in her brain. Even with the above tests, PVS is often misdiagnosed (one of those misdiagnosed PVS patients who made a rare complete recovery was, ironically, diagnosed by Dr. Cranford who also diagnosed Terri). Currently, there's no way to know who will recover (either fully or partially) and who won't or how long that recover will take. Evidently, neurologists have made some incredible strides in just the past few years both diagnostically and in treatment. Dr. Felder is just one of many neurologists who expressed, in writing, their concern about Terri not being given a full (recent) battery of tests to properly diagnose her condition. These were, of course, submitted to Judge Greer who refused to consider them.

Cindie

[Smartaleck]

Thanks....good info.

I heard an interview with DR. Bernadine Healy with Hannity the other day and she explained much of what you mentioned.

Anyway, back to the bone scan. It's a tool but only one and shows anomalies of bone growth. Further measurements are necessary to discern the origins.

Check out this site:
http://www.theempirejournal.com/02230551_medical_observations_sh.htm

Assuming this is an accurate journal of care, do a search for bone.....you'll see Dr. Walkers report but you'll also see several others. I'm not a DR. but I sense what he saw was the result from her immobility and sedentary state.

An increase in physical therapy was prescribed as a result.

That said, it's not fair to demand several observations in the one instance yet base an opinion on one observation in an other area of diagnosis.