Brain MRI - When to expect results?

[CollieCuddles]

Hi,

My 15 yr old DD had a brain MRI today following an A&E admission this week for a blinding headache/vision changes etc.

If it was bad news such as a brain tumour, would we be called today with the results?

If there is a large tumour causing compression effects this is generally reported right away (usually the patient also looks very poorly at the time, and continues to deteriorate after the scan too). For general reporting unfortunately it can be weeks and weeks as there are not that many specialist radiologists for children's brains.

Thanks @Unseenentity.

She passed all the neurological tests that they could do in A&E and has recently been seen at the local eye hospital where they did a through check up and said all is ok with no swelling on her nerves/discs.

The paediatrician in A&E said that he thought it was migraines but would send her for a scan just to be sure.

Ds had a brain MRI a number of years ago, and we were given an appointment for the results about 6 weeks away.

We then got a letter telling us it was moved due to "unforeseen circumstances" to about 1 week away. That was definitely rather panicky.
However ds had an ENT appointment that day, and the consultant asked how things were so I told her that I was worried. When we came back from the hearing test she told us she'd phoned ds' paediatrician and asked her and she was allowed to tell us that there was absolutely nothing wrong, simply that when our original appointment was meant to be, she'd booked annual leave, but had had a cancellation she could slot him in!

My child has just had a ct scan for headaches, photophobia, sickness. This discovered a cyst and an mri was ordered.

My daughters results came through in 20m.

She hadn't even woken from the sedation (thank goodness as it was a very tough conversation), and I'd just sat down back on the ward. That was a tumour, and she went for emergency surgery the next morning.

I've heard of other kids on here who have been diagnosed with tumors and it's usually within a few hours maximum. When we were in hospital all of those who joined us on the ward had recorded their results from scans etc within a few hours, though some had to battle for months to get the scans in the first place.

Obviously there are no guarantees and every hospital is different. It's a horrible time waiting for the results, but if it were an emergency they'd call you I'm sure.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

I hope your DCs are all doing well now.

Something as dramatic as a brain tumour? I'd be surprised if you were let leave the building.

Two of mine have had head MRIs. One had something serious and we were told within hours. One didn't have anything serious and it took some weeks to get told that nothing untoward was seen. Both are fine now btw.

Yep we were told about the brain tumour within an hour or so of the scan, we were still in the building obviously but DC had two or three red flag symptoms. Another mum was allowed to go home and told the next day, I don't know why, maybe he didn't have hydrocephalus. I also know a mum whose child had a scan due to seizures, they got the (clear) results after a week. So for that first scan, I would say no news is great news.