Thanks, Flora, for the idea about the photos and thanks, Newman, for the idea about using a photocopier-- excellent-- it takes me back to the days, long ago when Xerox machines first came out and people at work were goofing off, sitting on them and taking pix of their bottoms :-) I think I'll go scan them right now and see how that compares to a photocopy.

I wish I'd thought to take pictures 5 weeks ago before and after my NA procedure. I guess it's sometimes common that there is regression after a procedure but my finger already appears to be back to pre-NA status depsite physical therapy, splints, stretching and exercise. I'm still waiting for a response from Dr. Chiang on whether he will order a MRI-- I sure hope so because I don't want to start looking for another radiologist/city for RT and I want to get on with it so I can have NA on my left hand. I still haven't fond a study or explanation abot how radiologists-- other than with lots of prior experiece with DD-- figure how deep to go when using RT.

Hi Flora,
I did a lot of research online and found a few papers and the previously referred to book that said MRIs *could* show DD (I don't want to have a CT scan because of the xtra radiation). My doc finally today agreed to let me get an MRI of my right hand. However, his thoughts regarding MRI have not changed much and his opinion is that the available studies examine a small number of patients and do not relate MRI findings to treatment planning for radiation. He also said he would be "choosing an appropriate electron energy to treat to the depth of interest. The depth is determined by hand thickness, which for the most part is consistent from human to human and thus the energy is pretty much already determined." That seems to be a little different than what Lori has reported but since RT is so new in this country I'm not sure there's any established protocol. I wish Dr. T.-- or someone else-- would do some tracking and followup studies. We shall see if the MRI makes any difference in my treatment plan. Please cross those non-DD fingers for me

Diane

Diane and Flora,

You are right an MRI is expensive. I think I paid around $1200.00 (my share) of the cost. If you look at my picture under the heading "pictures of my hand MRI to now" you can see the nodule on the MRI. You can see it as the dark spot under the bone in the middle of my hand. It shows the nodule in relation to my palm and the depth to the bone. So it cleary shows Dups. I have said before, that I am not sure I would do an MRI again, due to my cost unless it was REALLY necessary. Flora you are right in that an MRI does see through soft tissue better than a CT.

Lori

American doctors do love MRIs. We have more MRI machines per capita tham any other country and frequent use helps pay for them. Insurance usually pays, and the doctors make money. I'm not a conspiracy theorist about this, but our health care system is set up so that it reward high tech procedures.

I'm still dealing with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City to see if they will use radiation on my Ledderhose lumps. The scheduling guy in the Radiology Dept keeps asking me detailed questions about the X-ray that my doctor took. I told my doctor, and I told the scheduling guy at MSKCC, that these lumps don't usually show up on X-ray so it's probably a waste of time and radiation to do that. But the doctor said it's just routine, they X-ray all feet before the doctor even sees the patient, regardless of what the problem is. So the guy at MSKCC asked whether I had an MRI. I said no. He was puzzled and said "Well then how was your fibroma detected?" I said "You can SEE it. It's sticking out of the bottom of my foot."

Imagine that. Using physical diagnosis and palpation.