can anyone help me interprept this..

[drewser]

My doctor bumped my appt for 8 weeks, I am wondering if anyone can give me a hint to what is to come....here is mri from feb 7,2009
Would any of this have to do with new back pain lower near spine...

FINDINGS:
Minimal, 2 mm of degenerative retrolisthesis is noted at C5-6.
Otherwise, alignment of the cervical spine is normal. Minimal
degenerative endplate signal changes are seen about the C5-6 disc. A
tiny 4 mm hemangioma is located within T2 vertebral body. The
remaining vertebral bodies are maintained in signal and height.
Multilevel degenerative disc disease is noted with loss of the normal
T2 signal and disc narrowing. Spinal cord signal is normal. The
imaged posterior fossa is unremarkable. A 2.1 cm lipoma is
incidentally noted within the posterior neck subcutaneous fat at the
C5-6 level.
C2-C3: There are no spinal canal or foraminal stenoses.
C3-C4: Right paracentral disc protrusion which narrows the anterior
CSF space. Ample CSF surrounds the cord posteriorly at this level.
No cord deformity. Mild uncovertebral hypertrophy and facet
hypertrophy without foraminal stenosis.
C4-C5: Posterior disc osteophyte complex with uncovertebral
hypertrophy and mild ligamentum flavum laxity. The anterior and
posterior CSF spaces are mildly narrowed. No cord deformity.
Uncovertebral hypertrophy causes right greater than left foraminal
stenosis.
C5-C6: Posterior disc osteophyte complex and ligamentum flavum laxity
resulting in effacement of the anterior and posterior CSF spaces.
The anterior aspect of the cord is flattened. No abnormal cord
signal at this level. Uncovertebral hypertrophy causes left greater
than right foraminal stenosis.
C6-C7: Posterior disc osteophyte complex and mild ligamentum flavum
laxity efface the anterior and posterior CSF spaces. Anterior and
posterior aspects of the cord are mildly deformed. Uncovertebral
hypertrophy causes left greater than right foraminal stenosis.
C7-T1: There are no spinal canal or foraminal stenoses.
IMPRESSION:
Multilevel degenerative disc and uncovertebral disease within the
cervical spine, most advanced at C5-6 and C6-7. Moderate C5-6 and
moderate/severe C6-7 central canal stenosis. No abnormal cord
signal. Multifocal foraminal stenosis primarily due to uncovertebral
disease, as described.
I have personally viewed this procedure/exam and reviewed this report.

[maz]

Hi Drewser,

wow what a report!! I have no idea what it is really saying and I am amazed at its detail. I am in the uk and have had full spine MRI x 2 with just a couple of lines are all the US reports so detailed? I think when they say the cord is compressed or there is stenosis this is significant. Best of luck to you and welcome but sorry you need to be here Maz

[2cool4U]

The findings described in this report are all in the cervical spine. Now, there are certainly a lot of symptoms that can occur in the lower body and extremities from abnormalities in the c-spine. However, pain generators have a tendency to be near their level of symptoms. BIG CAVEAT: That is not always the case, just the tendency. Cord compression in the cervical spine can cause lower extremity weakness, bowel and bladder problems, and a list way too long for this post. If the abnormalities described in your report were causing pain, it would likely be felt in your neck or upper extremities.

You probably need a lumbar MRI to evaluate your low back pain, IMHO.

[2cool4U]

And no, Maz, this is not a typical report. It's always a balancing act when deciding how much information to include. If there are facet changes in multiple levels, it is much easier to say that and give the levels that to describe each level independently.

The risk of having a report that is too long or too detailed is that the referring doctor gets bogged down in details that may not be important but are described in the report with the same level of seriousness as more significant lesions.

Of course, no matter what the report length ends up being, some will always say it's too long and others will say it's too short. No one's ever satisfied.