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What Does My MRI Scan Report Of My Lumbar Spine Indicate?
Question: MRI LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT CONTRAST--- looking for treatment options for foot numbness with tingling. Low back pain.
results
IMPRESSION:
1. L3-L4 mild posterior disc bulge with mild indentation of the thecal sac.
2. L2-L3 mild posterior annular disc bulge.
3. Some mild dextroscoliotic curvature of the lumbar spine.
END OF IMPRESSION:
INDICATION: Bilateral foot numbness with tingling. Low back pain. Hypertension.
TECHNIQUE: MRI lumbar spine without contrast with sagittal T1, T2, STIR and axial T2 and T1-weighted sequences.
FIELD STRENGTH: 1.5 Tesla magnet
COMPARISON: None available.
FINDINGS:
Conus terminates at the T11-T12 level. No compression fracture or subluxation is noted. Small inferior endplate Schmorl's node is noted at the L2 level. Paraspinal soft tissues appear unremarkable. No clumping of the nerve roots of the cauda equina are identified. Some motion artifacts limit assessment. Mild dextrocurvature of the lumbar spine is noted.
T12-L1: No significant disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing is noted.
L1-L2: No significant disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.
L2-L3: Slight posterior annular disc bulge without significance disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing is noted.
L3-L4: Mild posterior annular disc bulge with mild indentation of the sac without significant spinal canal stenosis.
L4-L5: No significant disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.
L5-S1: No significant disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foramina narrowing.
results
IMPRESSION:
1. L3-L4 mild posterior disc bulge with mild indentation of the thecal sac.
2. L2-L3 mild posterior annular disc bulge.
3. Some mild dextroscoliotic curvature of the lumbar spine.
END OF IMPRESSION:
INDICATION: Bilateral foot numbness with tingling. Low back pain. Hypertension.
TECHNIQUE: MRI lumbar spine without contrast with sagittal T1, T2, STIR and axial T2 and T1-weighted sequences.
FIELD STRENGTH: 1.5 Tesla magnet
COMPARISON: None available.
FINDINGS:
Conus terminates at the T11-T12 level. No compression fracture or subluxation is noted. Small inferior endplate Schmorl's node is noted at the L2 level. Paraspinal soft tissues appear unremarkable. No clumping of the nerve roots of the cauda equina are identified. Some motion artifacts limit assessment. Mild dextrocurvature of the lumbar spine is noted.
T12-L1: No significant disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing is noted.
L1-L2: No significant disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.
L2-L3: Slight posterior annular disc bulge without significance disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing is noted.
L3-L4: Mild posterior annular disc bulge with mild indentation of the sac without significant spinal canal stenosis.
L4-L5: No significant disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.
L5-S1: No significant disc herniation or bulge. No spinal canal or neural foramina narrowing.
Brief Answer:
There is mild disc bulge at two levels which can be treated with medicine
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Please find my observations below.
1. The spine is made up of an alignment of small bones called vertebrae which are numbered. These bones have sponge like discs between them and the spinal cord passes along the back of these bones through the spinal canal. Between the bones and at the levels of the discs, we also have nerve roots originating in the spinal cord and passing through foramen between bones. The disc at any level can protrude and cause pressure on the foramen with pinching of nerves and leading to pain.
2. You seem to be having the discs at L 2 - L 3 and L 3 - L 4 levels that are protruding between the bones and this protrusion is backwards and might cause mild symptoms. There is no pressure on the spinal canal and neural foramina. A mild disc bulge is less likely to cause severe pain.
3. Small inferior end plate Schmorl's node is noted at the L 2 level is a degenerative change that is not a concern. The mild dextrocurvature of the lumbar spine is telling the slight right sided curvature of spine at the time of doing scan and is not clinically significant.
4. Your MRI scan reveals a mild condition. Treatment for your condition depends on the severity and duration of symptoms which might have to be evaluated by doing a neurological clinical examination.
5. Patients might get relief with supportive or therapeutic measures. The usual treatment is given in stepwise manner and includes
(i) Physical therapy
(ii) Treatment with low power pain relief medicines and ointments
(iii) Treatment with medicines which work as nerve related pain relievers
(iv) Steroid injections
(v) Nerve block treatments with procedures like radiofrequency ablation
(vi) Surgeries to reduce pain due to disc and nerve related conditions only when there is no response to medical treatment
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
There is mild disc bulge at two levels which can be treated with medicine
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Please find my observations below.
1. The spine is made up of an alignment of small bones called vertebrae which are numbered. These bones have sponge like discs between them and the spinal cord passes along the back of these bones through the spinal canal. Between the bones and at the levels of the discs, we also have nerve roots originating in the spinal cord and passing through foramen between bones. The disc at any level can protrude and cause pressure on the foramen with pinching of nerves and leading to pain.
2. You seem to be having the discs at L 2 - L 3 and L 3 - L 4 levels that are protruding between the bones and this protrusion is backwards and might cause mild symptoms. There is no pressure on the spinal canal and neural foramina. A mild disc bulge is less likely to cause severe pain.
3. Small inferior end plate Schmorl's node is noted at the L 2 level is a degenerative change that is not a concern. The mild dextrocurvature of the lumbar spine is telling the slight right sided curvature of spine at the time of doing scan and is not clinically significant.
4. Your MRI scan reveals a mild condition. Treatment for your condition depends on the severity and duration of symptoms which might have to be evaluated by doing a neurological clinical examination.
5. Patients might get relief with supportive or therapeutic measures. The usual treatment is given in stepwise manner and includes
(i) Physical therapy
(ii) Treatment with low power pain relief medicines and ointments
(iii) Treatment with medicines which work as nerve related pain relievers
(iv) Steroid injections
(v) Nerve block treatments with procedures like radiofrequency ablation
(vi) Surgeries to reduce pain due to disc and nerve related conditions only when there is no response to medical treatment
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you very much for you opinion! It was very helpful in determining my next corse of action.
Brief Answer:
Welcome and wish you good health
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Welcome and thanks for sending in your query.
Should you have any more health queries in the future and would like it to be answered by me then please mention "query Id 185307 Attn Dr.Vivek Chail" in your query and the moderators will direct your query to me. I will reply back to you at the earliest.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Welcome and wish you good health
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Welcome and thanks for sending in your query.
Should you have any more health queries in the future and would like it to be answered by me then please mention "query Id 185307 Attn Dr.Vivek Chail" in your query and the moderators will direct your query to me. I will reply back to you at the earliest.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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