Question: My father and uncle developed spinocerebellar ataxia at age 50. I recently had a neck MRI because I have tingling and pain in several arm joints. My doctor believes I have cubital tunnel syndrome. He mentioned that the neck MRI showed significant "disease." I don't have SCA symptoms right now but I'm wondering if the degeneration that appeared in the MRI may indicate or be predictive of SCA? Or is it not that "kind" of degeneration? I'm basically wondering if the MRI results might mean the "SCA degeneration" has begun and I may developed SCA symptoms in the future, or do the MRI results have nothing to do with SCA. Thank you for your help. Here are the MRI findings:
CLINICAL HISTORY:

41-year-old male with increasing neck pain and right arm radiculopathy.

COMPARISON:

02/13/2015.



TECHNIQUE:

Nonenhanced multiplanar multiecho MR of the cervical spine was

performed. The following sequences were obtained: Sagittal T1,

sagittal T2 fat-sat, sagittal STIR, axial T2 cube, and axial 2-D

merge.



FINDINGS:

The vertebral body heights are maintained. Alignment of the cervical

spine is normal. There is no significant spondylolisthesis. Bone

marrow signal is within normal limits for patient age. There is no

evidence of an acute fracture or an aggressive marrow placement

process. There is mild disc height loss at C5-C6. The craniocervical

junction is normal. The cervical spinal cord is normal in signal. The

cerebellar tonsils are low-lying.



At C2-C3, the central canal and neural foramina are patent.



At C3-C4, there is a shallow broad-based posterior disc osteophyte

complex and mild ligamentum flavum thickening. These findings result

in very mild central stenosis. There is no cord compression. Mild

facet arthrosis and uncovertebral disease result in moderate left and

mild right neural foraminal stenosis.



At C4-C5, there is a shallow posterior disc osteophyte complex which

slightly flattens the ventral aspect of thecal sac. There is no

significant central stenosis. There is moderate left and mild right

neural foraminal stenosis secondary to left greater than right facet

arthrosis and uncovertebral disease.



At C5-C6, there is a posterior disc osteophyte complex with

superimposed shallow central disc protrusion. This indents the

ventral aspect of the thecal sac and contributes to mild central

stenosis. There is no cord compression. There is mild narrowing of

the neural foramina.



At C6-C7, the central canal and bilateral neural foramina are patent.



At C7-T1, the central canal and neural foramina are patent.



Impression

Mild degenerative disc disease mild degenerative disc disease and facet arthrosis within the upper to mid cervical spine. Degenerative changes result in mild central stenosis at C5-C6 and minimal central stenosis at C3-C4. There are varying degrees of neural foraminal stenosis as described above.