Will Mayo in AZ Read Foreign CT Scans and Reports?

Posted by bisbee @bisbee, Feb 17, 2020

I am "between" houses in the US (sold FL home in late December and now house-hunting in AZ). We always spend winters at our vacation home in Mexico. I became very sick in January with infections in my stomach and urinary tract. I waited too long to see a doctor (the symptoms came and went for a few weeks, until they got really bad in mid-January). When I got to the hospital here, they also ran a CT scan with oral contrast; the results were normal, other than an area of the cecum that was abnormal. The sense of the local Mexican doctor was that it could have been inflamed due to the severity of my infections and he suggested repeating the scan after my treatment. The antibiotics did the trick, and the pain and infections are gone and I am back to normal as of 10+ days ago.

They reran the CT scan with contrast a few days ago and there remains an area at the cecum that is described in the first scan (my translation) as "a narrowing with no obvious thickening" while the second scan report says, "irregular conformation in the cecal region and thickening of the wall." Different radiologists did each report.

The doctor suggests a colonoscopy which I would prefer to have in the US. However I cannot get a sense from the local doctor here whether this is something that needs to be done quickly, or if it can wait until our next planned trip to AZ in March. It would be very costly for us to change airline flights and find lodging in February in AZ on short notice (high snowbird season).

Like I said, I feel fine but just not sure if this is an emergency or not. Is it possible for Mayo in AZ to read my Mexican CT scans and reports remotely and let me know whether time is of the essence? Just looking for some piece of mind.

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Hi @bisbee
When scheduling an appointment at Mayo Clinic, it is always helpful to have the results of previously performed diagnostic tests, like CT scans. Are you currently a patient at Mayo Clinic or seeing your first appointment?

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@colleenyoung

Hi @bisbee
When scheduling an appointment at Mayo Clinic, it is always helpful to have the results of previously performed diagnostic tests, like CT scans. Are you currently a patient at Mayo Clinic or seeing your first appointment?

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I filled out an application for an appt. but have not heard back.

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@bisbee

I filled out an application for an appt. but have not heard back.

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@bisbee, you may wish to follow up with a phone call. Here are the numbers for all 3 Mayo Clinic locations http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63

You may find this Visitors Guide helpful too. I answers many commonly asked questions https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide

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Thank you @colleenyoung I found an English speaking Gastroenterologist in Guadalajara and have an appointment with him tomorrow. Will see what he says. Wish me luck!

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