Guest guest Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 Hi, I don't quite understand what happened to you during the MRI, but when I feel behind my ear, I find my lower skull, not neck. I believe the mastoid bone is behind the ear in the skull also. All I can think of is that you had some kind of injury to the skin and underlying tissue that broke blood vessels and blood pooled under the skin, which is painful and it would take over a month to go away. Perhaps it was fluid that gathered instead of blood? I don't think a mastoid efflusion that didn't come from an infection originating in the middle or inner ear would cause hearing loss. I think the efflusion was from an injury suffered at the time of the MRI. What else did the MRI show? Are you having neck pain? Rochelle In neck pain , HyperJavabean <hyperjavabean@...> wrote: > > Hello all > > I had my mri of my neck a few weeks. When an mri is done they screw > your head to the board that slides into the mri machine securely so it > can't move with a device that fits over your face. While in the mri > machine a large lump formed in my neck behind my right ear and I had to > be pulled out and to stick my fingers inside the device and push on it > to release the pressure of it. It was slightly larger then a silver > dollar piece. After the mri it took about a month and a half to go > away; I was unable to sleep on that side, and the pain would wake me in > the night. > > The mri lists a " mastoid effusion " which I find confusing; as that > would take months to create, I would have been unable to hear, had a > fever etc. > > Has anyone had something like this before. Is it possible that it is > listed as a " mastoid effusion " and could actually be some sort of > spinal cord leak? Would this look similar on an mri? > > Thanks in advance > > invisisbleglue.blogspot.com > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 Hi, I don't quite understand what happened to you during the MRI, but when I feel behind my ear, I find my lower skull, not neck. I believe the mastoid bone is behind the ear in the skull also. All I can think of is that you had some kind of injury to the skin and underlying tissue that broke blood vessels and blood pooled under the skin, which is painful and it would take over a month to go away. Perhaps it was fluid that gathered instead of blood? I don't think a mastoid efflusion that didn't come from an infection originating in the middle or inner ear would cause hearing loss. I think the efflusion was from an injury suffered at the time of the MRI. What else did the MRI show? Are you having neck pain? Rochelle In neck pain , HyperJavabean <hyperjavabean@...> wrote: > > Hello all > > I had my mri of my neck a few weeks. When an mri is done they screw > your head to the board that slides into the mri machine securely so it > can't move with a device that fits over your face. While in the mri > machine a large lump formed in my neck behind my right ear and I had to > be pulled out and to stick my fingers inside the device and push on it > to release the pressure of it. It was slightly larger then a silver > dollar piece. After the mri it took about a month and a half to go > away; I was unable to sleep on that side, and the pain would wake me in > the night. > > The mri lists a " mastoid effusion " which I find confusing; as that > would take months to create, I would have been unable to hear, had a > fever etc. > > Has anyone had something like this before. Is it possible that it is > listed as a " mastoid effusion " and could actually be some sort of > spinal cord leak? Would this look similar on an mri? > > Thanks in advance > > invisisbleglue.blogspot.com > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Rochelle; Thank you for the response. It is confusing isn't it. The neurologist did not address the lump that occurred on the neck or the effusion recorded on the mri in person. I had went to him for itching between the shoulder blades, particularly beneath winging scapulars, for over a year. For some reason he chose to look for things such as brain tumors and MS rather then anything with the neck or the spine beneath my neck. The mri also showed minimal foraminal stenosis is seen at C3-C4 on the left side. C5 - C6 and C6 - C7 shows disc osteophyte complex with mild bilateral neural foraminal stenosis without cranial stenosis. I do have a lot of neck pain. Usually what happens is that either scapular will wing and then it will hurt up the spine and I will get a knot in the neck behind the ear on the side of the winging scapular. Those muscles would get so tight that am unable to tilt my head to my shoulder and will have to stand in the shower with it beating on that spot on my neck to get it to release - this takes monts. This has went on for years and years. The itching between the scapulars running up the spinal cord was the new symptom; something they have not seen before. Since they did not find what they were looking for on the brain and spine mri they have decided this is psychological. However I have seen a psychologist who tells them that this is real and she sees that I have no gain from my claim from this symptom that they can find no reason for. It was only when I got home that I read the mastoid effusion on the mri and connected it to the lump on the mri; neither addressed during the appointment. I was hoping someone here might have seen something like this on an mri and indicate a direction. When doctors don't believe you it is difficult to trust them and their results. Thank you again for your response Jacque On Sunday, May 11, 2008, at 06:53 AM, neck pain wrote: > 1b. Re: mastoid effusion? > Posted by: " Rochelle " rccoc1977@... rccoc1977 > Date: Sat May 10, 2008 8:22 am ((PDT)) > > Hi, > I don't quite understand what happened to you during the MRI, but > when I feel behind my ear, I find my lower skull, not neck. I believe > the mastoid bone is behind the ear in the skull also. > All I can think of is that you had some kind of injury to the skin > and underlying tissue that broke blood vessels and blood pooled under > the skin, which is painful and it would take over a month to go away. > Perhaps it was fluid that gathered instead of blood? > I don't think a mastoid efflusion that didn't come from an > infection originating in the middle or inner ear would cause hearing > loss. I think the efflusion was from an injury suffered at the time > of the MRI. > What else did the MRI show? Are you having neck pain? > > Rochelle > --- Hello all I had my mri of my neck a few weeks. When an mri is done they screw your head to the board that slides into the mri machine securely so it can't move with a device that fits over your face. While in the mri machine a large lump formed in my neck behind my right ear and I had to be pulled out and to stick my fingers inside the device and push on it to release the pressure of it. It was slightly larger then a silver dollar piece. After the mri it took about a month and a half to go away; I was unable to sleep on that side, and the pain would wake me in the night. The mri lists a " mastoid effusion " which I find confusing; as that would take months to create, I would have been unable to hear, had a fever etc. Has anyone had something like this before. Is it possible that it is listed as a " mastoid effusion " and could actually be some sort of spinal cord leak? Would this look similar on an mri? Thanks in advance invisisbleglue.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Rochelle; Thank you for the response. It is confusing isn't it. The neurologist did not address the lump that occurred on the neck or the effusion recorded on the mri in person. I had went to him for itching between the shoulder blades, particularly beneath winging scapulars, for over a year. For some reason he chose to look for things such as brain tumors and MS rather then anything with the neck or the spine beneath my neck. The mri also showed minimal foraminal stenosis is seen at C3-C4 on the left side. C5 - C6 and C6 - C7 shows disc osteophyte complex with mild bilateral neural foraminal stenosis without cranial stenosis. I do have a lot of neck pain. Usually what happens is that either scapular will wing and then it will hurt up the spine and I will get a knot in the neck behind the ear on the side of the winging scapular. Those muscles would get so tight that am unable to tilt my head to my shoulder and will have to stand in the shower with it beating on that spot on my neck to get it to release - this takes monts. This has went on for years and years. The itching between the scapulars running up the spinal cord was the new symptom; something they have not seen before. Since they did not find what they were looking for on the brain and spine mri they have decided this is psychological. However I have seen a psychologist who tells them that this is real and she sees that I have no gain from my claim from this symptom that they can find no reason for. It was only when I got home that I read the mastoid effusion on the mri and connected it to the lump on the mri; neither addressed during the appointment. I was hoping someone here might have seen something like this on an mri and indicate a direction. When doctors don't believe you it is difficult to trust them and their results. Thank you again for your response Jacque On Sunday, May 11, 2008, at 06:53 AM, neck pain wrote: > 1b. Re: mastoid effusion? > Posted by: " Rochelle " rccoc1977@... rccoc1977 > Date: Sat May 10, 2008 8:22 am ((PDT)) > > Hi, > I don't quite understand what happened to you during the MRI, but > when I feel behind my ear, I find my lower skull, not neck. I believe > the mastoid bone is behind the ear in the skull also. > All I can think of is that you had some kind of injury to the skin > and underlying tissue that broke blood vessels and blood pooled under > the skin, which is painful and it would take over a month to go away. > Perhaps it was fluid that gathered instead of blood? > I don't think a mastoid efflusion that didn't come from an > infection originating in the middle or inner ear would cause hearing > loss. I think the efflusion was from an injury suffered at the time > of the MRI. > What else did the MRI show? Are you having neck pain? > > Rochelle > --- Hello all I had my mri of my neck a few weeks. When an mri is done they screw your head to the board that slides into the mri machine securely so it can't move with a device that fits over your face. While in the mri machine a large lump formed in my neck behind my right ear and I had to be pulled out and to stick my fingers inside the device and push on it to release the pressure of it. It was slightly larger then a silver dollar piece. After the mri it took about a month and a half to go away; I was unable to sleep on that side, and the pain would wake me in the night. The mri lists a " mastoid effusion " which I find confusing; as that would take months to create, I would have been unable to hear, had a fever etc. Has anyone had something like this before. Is it possible that it is listed as a " mastoid effusion " and could actually be some sort of spinal cord leak? Would this look similar on an mri? Thanks in advance invisisbleglue.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Rochelle; Thank you for the response. It is confusing isn't it. The neurologist did not address the lump that occurred on the neck or the effusion recorded on the mri in person. I had went to him for itching between the shoulder blades, particularly beneath winging scapulars, for over a year. For some reason he chose to look for things such as brain tumors and MS rather then anything with the neck or the spine beneath my neck. The mri also showed minimal foraminal stenosis is seen at C3-C4 on the left side. C5 - C6 and C6 - C7 shows disc osteophyte complex with mild bilateral neural foraminal stenosis without cranial stenosis. I do have a lot of neck pain. Usually what happens is that either scapular will wing and then it will hurt up the spine and I will get a knot in the neck behind the ear on the side of the winging scapular. Those muscles would get so tight that am unable to tilt my head to my shoulder and will have to stand in the shower with it beating on that spot on my neck to get it to release - this takes monts. This has went on for years and years. The itching between the scapulars running up the spinal cord was the new symptom; something they have not seen before. Since they did not find what they were looking for on the brain and spine mri they have decided this is psychological. However I have seen a psychologist who tells them that this is real and she sees that I have no gain from my claim from this symptom that they can find no reason for. It was only when I got home that I read the mastoid effusion on the mri and connected it to the lump on the mri; neither addressed during the appointment. I was hoping someone here might have seen something like this on an mri and indicate a direction. When doctors don't believe you it is difficult to trust them and their results. Thank you again for your response Jacque On Sunday, May 11, 2008, at 06:53 AM, neck pain wrote: > 1b. Re: mastoid effusion? > Posted by: " Rochelle " rccoc1977@... rccoc1977 > Date: Sat May 10, 2008 8:22 am ((PDT)) > > Hi, > I don't quite understand what happened to you during the MRI, but > when I feel behind my ear, I find my lower skull, not neck. I believe > the mastoid bone is behind the ear in the skull also. > All I can think of is that you had some kind of injury to the skin > and underlying tissue that broke blood vessels and blood pooled under > the skin, which is painful and it would take over a month to go away. > Perhaps it was fluid that gathered instead of blood? > I don't think a mastoid efflusion that didn't come from an > infection originating in the middle or inner ear would cause hearing > loss. I think the efflusion was from an injury suffered at the time > of the MRI. > What else did the MRI show? Are you having neck pain? > > Rochelle > --- Hello all I had my mri of my neck a few weeks. When an mri is done they screw your head to the board that slides into the mri machine securely so it can't move with a device that fits over your face. While in the mri machine a large lump formed in my neck behind my right ear and I had to be pulled out and to stick my fingers inside the device and push on it to release the pressure of it. It was slightly larger then a silver dollar piece. After the mri it took about a month and a half to go away; I was unable to sleep on that side, and the pain would wake me in the night. The mri lists a " mastoid effusion " which I find confusing; as that would take months to create, I would have been unable to hear, had a fever etc. Has anyone had something like this before. Is it possible that it is listed as a " mastoid effusion " and could actually be some sort of spinal cord leak? Would this look similar on an mri? Thanks in advance invisisbleglue.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Rochelle; Thank you for the response. It is confusing isn't it. The neurologist did not address the lump that occurred on the neck or the effusion recorded on the mri in person. I had went to him for itching between the shoulder blades, particularly beneath winging scapulars, for over a year. For some reason he chose to look for things such as brain tumors and MS rather then anything with the neck or the spine beneath my neck. The mri also showed minimal foraminal stenosis is seen at C3-C4 on the left side. C5 - C6 and C6 - C7 shows disc osteophyte complex with mild bilateral neural foraminal stenosis without cranial stenosis. I do have a lot of neck pain. Usually what happens is that either scapular will wing and then it will hurt up the spine and I will get a knot in the neck behind the ear on the side of the winging scapular. Those muscles would get so tight that am unable to tilt my head to my shoulder and will have to stand in the shower with it beating on that spot on my neck to get it to release - this takes monts. This has went on for years and years. The itching between the scapulars running up the spinal cord was the new symptom; something they have not seen before. Since they did not find what they were looking for on the brain and spine mri they have decided this is psychological. However I have seen a psychologist who tells them that this is real and she sees that I have no gain from my claim from this symptom that they can find no reason for. It was only when I got home that I read the mastoid effusion on the mri and connected it to the lump on the mri; neither addressed during the appointment. I was hoping someone here might have seen something like this on an mri and indicate a direction. When doctors don't believe you it is difficult to trust them and their results. Thank you again for your response Jacque On Sunday, May 11, 2008, at 06:53 AM, neck pain wrote: > 1b. Re: mastoid effusion? > Posted by: " Rochelle " rccoc1977@... rccoc1977 > Date: Sat May 10, 2008 8:22 am ((PDT)) > > Hi, > I don't quite understand what happened to you during the MRI, but > when I feel behind my ear, I find my lower skull, not neck. I believe > the mastoid bone is behind the ear in the skull also. > All I can think of is that you had some kind of injury to the skin > and underlying tissue that broke blood vessels and blood pooled under > the skin, which is painful and it would take over a month to go away. > Perhaps it was fluid that gathered instead of blood? > I don't think a mastoid efflusion that didn't come from an > infection originating in the middle or inner ear would cause hearing > loss. I think the efflusion was from an injury suffered at the time > of the MRI. > What else did the MRI show? Are you having neck pain? > > Rochelle > --- Hello all I had my mri of my neck a few weeks. When an mri is done they screw your head to the board that slides into the mri machine securely so it can't move with a device that fits over your face. While in the mri machine a large lump formed in my neck behind my right ear and I had to be pulled out and to stick my fingers inside the device and push on it to release the pressure of it. It was slightly larger then a silver dollar piece. After the mri it took about a month and a half to go away; I was unable to sleep on that side, and the pain would wake me in the night. The mri lists a " mastoid effusion " which I find confusing; as that would take months to create, I would have been unable to hear, had a fever etc. Has anyone had something like this before. Is it possible that it is listed as a " mastoid effusion " and could actually be some sort of spinal cord leak? Would this look similar on an mri? Thanks in advance invisisbleglue.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Hi Jacque, There is a muscle called a levator scapulae. At one end it attaches to the sides of C1, C2, C3 (upper cervical vertebra) (the lump in your upper neck?)and at the other end attaches to the top of the shoulder blade (scapula). If the levator scapula spasms, you would have pain down the side of the neck and maybe cause your scapula to wing. A friend of mine had this once from looking down into the old style microscopes all day long. She found an expert at trigger point injections and he cured her with one shot. So maybe you have one of those trigger points. Find a pain doctor who is an expert at trigger points. Sometimes they use machines to find the exact point. Also botox injections are a possibilty. They paralyze the part of the muscle causing the spasm for several months and sometimes the spasm doesn't come back. This is the same treatment used for spasmodic torticollis, where another muscle in the neck, the sternomastoid, spasms and draws the head down to one shoulder. I think your doctors are looking into something in your brain causing the spasm because that sometimes happens. But regardless of the cause they can still treat with botox. In the meantime try to keep your shoulders low to stretch out the levator scapula. Also don't raise your arms above your head that would probably aggravate it. Hope this helps, Rochelle ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Hi Jacque, There is a muscle called a levator scapulae. At one end it attaches to the sides of C1, C2, C3 (upper cervical vertebra) (the lump in your upper neck?)and at the other end attaches to the top of the shoulder blade (scapula). If the levator scapula spasms, you would have pain down the side of the neck and maybe cause your scapula to wing. A friend of mine had this once from looking down into the old style microscopes all day long. She found an expert at trigger point injections and he cured her with one shot. So maybe you have one of those trigger points. Find a pain doctor who is an expert at trigger points. Sometimes they use machines to find the exact point. Also botox injections are a possibilty. They paralyze the part of the muscle causing the spasm for several months and sometimes the spasm doesn't come back. This is the same treatment used for spasmodic torticollis, where another muscle in the neck, the sternomastoid, spasms and draws the head down to one shoulder. I think your doctors are looking into something in your brain causing the spasm because that sometimes happens. But regardless of the cause they can still treat with botox. In the meantime try to keep your shoulders low to stretch out the levator scapula. Also don't raise your arms above your head that would probably aggravate it. Hope this helps, Rochelle ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Hi Jacque, There is a muscle called a levator scapulae. At one end it attaches to the sides of C1, C2, C3 (upper cervical vertebra) (the lump in your upper neck?)and at the other end attaches to the top of the shoulder blade (scapula). If the levator scapula spasms, you would have pain down the side of the neck and maybe cause your scapula to wing. A friend of mine had this once from looking down into the old style microscopes all day long. She found an expert at trigger point injections and he cured her with one shot. So maybe you have one of those trigger points. Find a pain doctor who is an expert at trigger points. Sometimes they use machines to find the exact point. Also botox injections are a possibilty. They paralyze the part of the muscle causing the spasm for several months and sometimes the spasm doesn't come back. This is the same treatment used for spasmodic torticollis, where another muscle in the neck, the sternomastoid, spasms and draws the head down to one shoulder. I think your doctors are looking into something in your brain causing the spasm because that sometimes happens. But regardless of the cause they can still treat with botox. In the meantime try to keep your shoulders low to stretch out the levator scapula. Also don't raise your arms above your head that would probably aggravate it. Hope this helps, Rochelle ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Hi Jacque, There is a muscle called a levator scapulae. At one end it attaches to the sides of C1, C2, C3 (upper cervical vertebra) (the lump in your upper neck?)and at the other end attaches to the top of the shoulder blade (scapula). If the levator scapula spasms, you would have pain down the side of the neck and maybe cause your scapula to wing. A friend of mine had this once from looking down into the old style microscopes all day long. She found an expert at trigger point injections and he cured her with one shot. So maybe you have one of those trigger points. Find a pain doctor who is an expert at trigger points. Sometimes they use machines to find the exact point. Also botox injections are a possibilty. They paralyze the part of the muscle causing the spasm for several months and sometimes the spasm doesn't come back. This is the same treatment used for spasmodic torticollis, where another muscle in the neck, the sternomastoid, spasms and draws the head down to one shoulder. I think your doctors are looking into something in your brain causing the spasm because that sometimes happens. But regardless of the cause they can still treat with botox. In the meantime try to keep your shoulders low to stretch out the levator scapula. Also don't raise your arms above your head that would probably aggravate it. Hope this helps, Rochelle ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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