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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Do My MRI Test Report Indicate?

I just received a copy of my two MRIs and I m trying to understand them. What does this mean?MRI OF THE CERVICAL SPINE WITHOUT CONTRAST FINDINGS: There is straightening of the normal cervical lordosis with anatomic alignment. Vertebral body heights are well-maintained. Desiccation and disc height loss throughout the cervical spine, most pronounced at C6-7. No focal worrisome marrow signal abnormality is seen.The cervical spinal cord has a normal course and caliber. No focal cord signal abnormality is seen. No focal mass or fluid collection is seen in the cervical spinal canal. The paraspinal soft tissues are unremarkable. The craniocervical junction is unremarkable.At C2-3 through C4-5, there is no significant abnormality.At C5-6, there is a minimal posterior disk osteophyte complex with minimal uncovertebral and facet joint degenerative changes. There is no significant spinal canal or neural foraminal stenosis. No significant interval change. At C6-7, there is a small posterior disk osteophyte complex with minimal increase in a left paracentral disc extrusion extending into the proximal left neural foramen. The extrusion extends caudally by 3 mm and cephalad by 2 mm. There are minimal uncovertebral and facet joint degenerative changes. There is mild predominantly left-sided spinal canal stenosis with minimal flattening of the ventral spinal cord. There is new moderate left neural foraminal stenosis.At C7-T1, there is no significant abnormality.MRI OF THE BRAIN WITHOUT CONTRAST FINDINGS: The ventricles and sulci are within normal limits. There is no midline shift or mass effect. The basal cisterns are patent. The gray-white matter differentiation is intact. The craniocervical junction is unremarkable. There is no acute intracranial hemorrhage or extra-axial fluid collection identified. The few punctate nonspecific foci of T2/FLAIR hyperintensity are again seen in the cerebral white matter which are unchanged from the previous exam and statistically most likely related to a minimal degree of chronic microvascular ischemic disease. No significant abnormal parenchymal gradient susceptibility. There is no restricted diffusion to suggest acute ischemia/infarction.Trace ethmoid and maxillary mucosal thickening. The remainder of the pelvis visualized paranasal sinuses and mastoid air cells are unremarkable. The expected major intracranial flow voids are present.
Mon, 13 Apr 2015
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Neurologist,  's  Response
I read your question and I understand your confusion in front of all those terms.

It would have been useful if you had stated your age and the symptoms which you are experiencing which led to the MRI.

The neck MRI reports of some degenerative changes of the spine which are very common with age due to the strain the spine endures over the years. Often they might cause no symptoms, but at times might cause some neck pain and if there is compression of a nerve root pain spreading in the arm innervated by that root. That's why I said you should have given your symptoms to see if they correlated with the findings. There is a foraminal narrowing on the left the level of the 6th and 7th vertebrae, the foramina is the tunnel where the nerve root passes, so if you have pain, tingling spreading to your left arm that means there might be nerve root compression by the degenerative changes. Therapy is through physical therapy and pain killers when needed, if not enough local injections of steroids and anesthetics may be tried, surgery shouldn't be necessary.

The brain MRI has only some mild vascular changes related to age as well, shouldn't cause any symptoms, don't seem to have augmented compared to a past MRI you've had and do not necessitate of any particular treatment apart from controlling blood vessel disease risk factors like high blood pressure, blood cholesterol, obesity, smoking interruption.

I hope to have been of help.
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What Do My MRI Test Report Indicate?

I read your question and I understand your confusion in front of all those terms. It would have been useful if you had stated your age and the symptoms which you are experiencing which led to the MRI. The neck MRI reports of some degenerative changes of the spine which are very common with age due to the strain the spine endures over the years. Often they might cause no symptoms, but at times might cause some neck pain and if there is compression of a nerve root pain spreading in the arm innervated by that root. That s why I said you should have given your symptoms to see if they correlated with the findings. There is a foraminal narrowing on the left the level of the 6th and 7th vertebrae, the foramina is the tunnel where the nerve root passes, so if you have pain, tingling spreading to your left arm that means there might be nerve root compression by the degenerative changes. Therapy is through physical therapy and pain killers when needed, if not enough local injections of steroids and anesthetics may be tried, surgery shouldn t be necessary. The brain MRI has only some mild vascular changes related to age as well, shouldn t cause any symptoms, don t seem to have augmented compared to a past MRI you ve had and do not necessitate of any particular treatment apart from controlling blood vessel disease risk factors like high blood pressure, blood cholesterol, obesity, smoking interruption. I hope to have been of help.