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What Does My MRI Report Of Cervical Spine Indicate?
Question: Can you interpret this report for me, please? MRI of the cervical Spine.
History: Neck pain and radiculopathy
Comparison: NONE
Technique: Multisequential and multi planar images of cervical spine were submitted for review without contrast.
Findings: The cord is normal in caliber and signal. There is no cerebellar ectopia. The alignment of the cervical spine is within normal limits. There is normal bona marrow signal demonstrated throughout the cervical spine.
C2-C3: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
C3-C4: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
C4-C5: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate right and mild left neuroforaminal narrowing.
C5-C6: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate to severe bilateral neuroforaminal narrowing.
C6-C7: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate right and moderate to severe left neuroforaminal narrowing.
C7-T1: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
T1-T4: Evaluated on sagittal images only. No disc bulge, mass effect on the cord or neuroforaminal narrowing.
Please advice on what I should do about it. At times I have felt numbness in face along with a feeling of a "heavy" head. Was not advised by doctor but I have been using a neck brace and it reliefs pain and pressure.
I was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis. I have been wearing the neck brace for about two weeks to help relief the pressure. Over the weekend, I did not really wear it. On Sunday night, I began to feel weak and may arms and legs felt heavy. Shortly after, I felt a pressure behind my nose and in the dorsal part of the root of my mouth. This gave me the feeling of a difficulty breathing because of the pressure. Today, it happened again. I had the neck brace off for a few hours and i began to have the same symptoms with neck tension and the same pressure behind the nose bridge. It seems like all this is happening when I let my neck "roam" freely on its own. I have mostly felt the pressures when i moved my neck down to my chin. I am a shoe repairer and one of my machines is fairly low to where i have to continuously look down with my chin down, hence why I chose to use a neck brace and it has helped out tremendously. However, it seems that now, I don't last to long without it before i began to feel tensions in my neck up the back of my head into the front of my face.
History: Neck pain and radiculopathy
Comparison: NONE
Technique: Multisequential and multi planar images of cervical spine were submitted for review without contrast.
Findings: The cord is normal in caliber and signal. There is no cerebellar ectopia. The alignment of the cervical spine is within normal limits. There is normal bona marrow signal demonstrated throughout the cervical spine.
C2-C3: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
C3-C4: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
C4-C5: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate right and mild left neuroforaminal narrowing.
C5-C6: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate to severe bilateral neuroforaminal narrowing.
C6-C7: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate right and moderate to severe left neuroforaminal narrowing.
C7-T1: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
T1-T4: Evaluated on sagittal images only. No disc bulge, mass effect on the cord or neuroforaminal narrowing.
Please advice on what I should do about it. At times I have felt numbness in face along with a feeling of a "heavy" head. Was not advised by doctor but I have been using a neck brace and it reliefs pain and pressure.
I was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis. I have been wearing the neck brace for about two weeks to help relief the pressure. Over the weekend, I did not really wear it. On Sunday night, I began to feel weak and may arms and legs felt heavy. Shortly after, I felt a pressure behind my nose and in the dorsal part of the root of my mouth. This gave me the feeling of a difficulty breathing because of the pressure. Today, it happened again. I had the neck brace off for a few hours and i began to have the same symptoms with neck tension and the same pressure behind the nose bridge. It seems like all this is happening when I let my neck "roam" freely on its own. I have mostly felt the pressures when i moved my neck down to my chin. I am a shoe repairer and one of my machines is fairly low to where i have to continuously look down with my chin down, hence why I chose to use a neck brace and it has helped out tremendously. However, it seems that now, I don't last to long without it before i began to feel tensions in my neck up the back of my head into the front of my face.
Brief Answer:
Your condition can be managed by physiotherapy.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Your findings suggest age related changes in cervical spine.
It is due to aging but findings are early in your case. It is due to weakness in annulus fibrosis which allows inter vertebral discs to expand.
There is bulging of intervertebral disc at C4-5,C5-6 and C6-7 level but it is not causing compression on nerve roots.Your symptoms are due to compression of lateral canal(through which nerve roots exit) due to uncovertbral hypertrophy. Compression is more at C5-6 and C6-7 level. Hypertrophy is related to degenerative changes.
Rest of the findings are normal. Spinal cord,vertebral bodies are normal.
Initially,I don't suggest surgery for my patients with these findings.
Your condition can be managed by physiotherapy.
I also don't suggest neck brace for prolong period. It causes further weakening of neck muscles. Physiotherapy causes strengthening of neck muscles and thus prevent further changes.
It is also important to sit and work in correct posture.
Surgery should be the last option. Now a days, per cutaneous endoscopic surgery is preferred and it is done in day care basis. Recovery is very fast.
Get well soon.
Hope I have answered your query
Further queries are most welcome.
Take Care
Dr.Indu XXXXXXX
Your condition can be managed by physiotherapy.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Your findings suggest age related changes in cervical spine.
It is due to aging but findings are early in your case. It is due to weakness in annulus fibrosis which allows inter vertebral discs to expand.
There is bulging of intervertebral disc at C4-5,C5-6 and C6-7 level but it is not causing compression on nerve roots.Your symptoms are due to compression of lateral canal(through which nerve roots exit) due to uncovertbral hypertrophy. Compression is more at C5-6 and C6-7 level. Hypertrophy is related to degenerative changes.
Rest of the findings are normal. Spinal cord,vertebral bodies are normal.
Initially,I don't suggest surgery for my patients with these findings.
Your condition can be managed by physiotherapy.
I also don't suggest neck brace for prolong period. It causes further weakening of neck muscles. Physiotherapy causes strengthening of neck muscles and thus prevent further changes.
It is also important to sit and work in correct posture.
Surgery should be the last option. Now a days, per cutaneous endoscopic surgery is preferred and it is done in day care basis. Recovery is very fast.
Get well soon.
Hope I have answered your query
Further queries are most welcome.
Take Care
Dr.Indu XXXXXXX
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
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