Is It Worth Getting an MRI?

[Priya997]

Would it be worth getting an MRI? What would the MRI show? I have had tinnitus for 6 months after coming off a flight. It's severe. No hearing loss and pressure test normal.

Never had tinnitus prior.

 

[MikeL1972]

Hi Priya,

Welcome to the site!

Ideally, an MRI will show absolutely nothing!

Also, from personal experience, MRI machines are loud so if you do opt to go, bring some hearing protection with you.

Courtesy of "http://www.ajnr.org/content/31/2/211.full":

Many patients will have no radiologic abnormalities than can explain their tinnitus. On the other hand, many radiologic findings associated with tinnitus are also seen frequently in asymptomatic individuals. The correlation of imaging findings with clinical symptoms remains a critical step before suggesting that a particular radiologic finding may be responsible for a patient's tinnitus. A compartment-based approach in the imaging evaluation helps to analyze systematically the various imaging modalities, which will prevent missing any important finding that may be a potential cause for tinnitus.

Good luck!

 

[GregCA]

Would it be worth getting an MRI? What would the MRI show? I have had tinnitus for 6 months after coming off a flight. It's severe. No hearing loss and pressure test normal.

Never had tinnitus prior.

An MRI is generally done to rule out an acoustic neuroma. If you don't know the cause for your T, it seems it would be a valuable test to run, but since you've correlated it with your coming off a flight, it doesn't seem likely.

I actually did it when I didn't know the cause for my Tinnitus, if just to rule it out and feel better.

If it started after a flight, the cause could be barotrauma.

Another test you can run is a CT scan. It'll show bone structure.

Your doctor should guide you in your debugging journey. S/he may need some help, so be ready with http://www.tinnitusresearch.net/index.php/for-clinicians/diagnostic-flowchart

 

[Mahr]

A MRI will show everything on small details; the hearing bones and blood vessels if a contrast fluid is used. It also might show a type of tumor, but I dont't know the english term for it. ( Vestibular schwannoma?)
Most of the times a MRI will not show the cause of the T, it just rules out some.