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What Does My MRI Scan Test Report Indicate?
Question: My husband just had an MRI done and I have the report and can not understand what is said.: Here goes and it is long>Spinal cord : the conus terminates at L1-2. Ordinary noncontrased appearance of the cauda equina. Vertebral bodies> There are diffuse endplate degenerative changes throughout the lumbar spine and straightening alignment. No edema to suggest acute or subacute compression fracture. There is chronic decreased height of the L4 vertebral body and mild left lateral listhesis of L3 on 4.. There is degenerative grade 1 retrolisthesesis at the lumbosacral junction.
DISK,Central canal and Neural Foramina> There is extensive disc disease throughout the lumbar spine. L1-2 There is asymmetric right-sided disc space narrowing. A 3 mm Posterior disc bulge, facet and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy result in moderate canal and moderate bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis. L2-3 A large right posterior disc bulge, moderate facet and ligamentum hypertrophy result in moderately severe canal stennosis (.08cm AP diminsion) and severe right and moderate left neuroforaminal stenosis., L3-4> There is asymmetric left sided disc space narrowing. A large asymmetric left disc bulge, facet and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy are present. There is severe left neural foraminal and lateral recess stenosis on the left, moderately severe canal stenosis and moderate right neural foraminal stenosis. L4-5> there is asymmetric left side disc space narrowing. A moderate size disc bulge,facet and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy result in severe canal narrowing and severe left greater than right neural foraminal stenosis.L5-S1> Moderate size disc bulge and superimposed central disc protrusion, with facet and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy result in moderately severe canal stenosis and severe bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis. SOFT tissue> Right renal cysts, Aorota is calcified. There is metallic susceptibility artifact associated with a right hop arthroplasty.
Try to expain to me what his means in lay terms Please and thank you.
DISK,Central canal and Neural Foramina> There is extensive disc disease throughout the lumbar spine. L1-2 There is asymmetric right-sided disc space narrowing. A 3 mm Posterior disc bulge, facet and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy result in moderate canal and moderate bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis. L2-3 A large right posterior disc bulge, moderate facet and ligamentum hypertrophy result in moderately severe canal stennosis (.08cm AP diminsion) and severe right and moderate left neuroforaminal stenosis., L3-4> There is asymmetric left sided disc space narrowing. A large asymmetric left disc bulge, facet and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy are present. There is severe left neural foraminal and lateral recess stenosis on the left, moderately severe canal stenosis and moderate right neural foraminal stenosis. L4-5> there is asymmetric left side disc space narrowing. A moderate size disc bulge,facet and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy result in severe canal narrowing and severe left greater than right neural foraminal stenosis.L5-S1> Moderate size disc bulge and superimposed central disc protrusion, with facet and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy result in moderately severe canal stenosis and severe bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis. SOFT tissue> Right renal cysts, Aorota is calcified. There is metallic susceptibility artifact associated with a right hop arthroplasty.
Try to expain to me what his means in lay terms Please and thank you.
Brief Answer:
Narrowing of spinal canal.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query.
Your husband is having degenerative spine disease with spinal canal stenosis and neural foraminal narrowing.In lay terms,this can be understood as- ageing associated degeneration of the spine and discs have resulted in degeneration related expulsion/bulging(as disc degenerate,its tissue becomes prone to slip out of the place where it is usually confined-i.e,between the vertebral bodies) due to which disc material have entered the spinal canal where spinal cord passes and nerve root emerges.Due to this,space available for the cord and roots have decreased,thus resulting in the compression of nerve roots.This can cause symptoms like pain in thighs and legs,weakness in limbs,tingling or urination related issues.
Hope this is of some help to you.If you need further explanation,please feel free to ask specifically and I shall be glad to answer it further accordingly.
Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Narrowing of spinal canal.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query.
Your husband is having degenerative spine disease with spinal canal stenosis and neural foraminal narrowing.In lay terms,this can be understood as- ageing associated degeneration of the spine and discs have resulted in degeneration related expulsion/bulging(as disc degenerate,its tissue becomes prone to slip out of the place where it is usually confined-i.e,between the vertebral bodies) due to which disc material have entered the spinal canal where spinal cord passes and nerve root emerges.Due to this,space available for the cord and roots have decreased,thus resulting in the compression of nerve roots.This can cause symptoms like pain in thighs and legs,weakness in limbs,tingling or urination related issues.
Hope this is of some help to you.If you need further explanation,please feel free to ask specifically and I shall be glad to answer it further accordingly.
Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
He is in a lot of pain when he walks. Not to much in legs and other extremities.
How can he be fixed?
He needs help what should he do. How do we proceed. Is surgery possible will it help him what are his chances to get rid of his pain
How can he be fixed?
He needs help what should he do. How do we proceed. Is surgery possible will it help him what are his chances to get rid of his pain
Brief Answer:
Medicines and Physiotherapy/Surgery is last resort.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being in follow-up.
At this stage,when his main complaint is pain while he is self dependent/ambulatory and has no neurological impairment, he should be treated mainly with physiotherapy(spinal exercises) and medicines(antineuralgic drugs like amitriptyline,pregabalin,duloxetine) along with calcium/vitamin D supplementation.Surgery is not the preferred option in his case because he has a widespread degenerative spine disease.Surgery helps the best in case of localized spine/disc disease.Obviously,surgery can't be performed upon the whole spine/large portion of spine.If it would have been a single site,say-L3/L4 involvement,surgery would have been better suited.
Hope that helps.If you have some further questions,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up else please close the thread,rate it and write a review.
Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Medicines and Physiotherapy/Surgery is last resort.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being in follow-up.
At this stage,when his main complaint is pain while he is self dependent/ambulatory and has no neurological impairment, he should be treated mainly with physiotherapy(spinal exercises) and medicines(antineuralgic drugs like amitriptyline,pregabalin,duloxetine) along with calcium/vitamin D supplementation.Surgery is not the preferred option in his case because he has a widespread degenerative spine disease.Surgery helps the best in case of localized spine/disc disease.Obviously,surgery can't be performed upon the whole spine/large portion of spine.If it would have been a single site,say-L3/L4 involvement,surgery would have been better suited.
Hope that helps.If you have some further questions,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up else please close the thread,rate it and write a review.
Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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