Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Does My Cervical MRI Scan Report Indicate?
Question: I would like a radiologist who specializes in reading MRIs to read my cervical MRI. I do not have the report yet and would like to understand what the MRI shows.
History:
I injured my neck on Sept 25, 2014. I was in a hot tub and jumped up and hit the back of my neck (somewhere between C4-T1) on the edge of the hot tub cover that was hanging over the tub. For 2 weeks afterward, I had pain and moderate swelling in the localized area of my neck but no tingling and no bruising. I had X-rays taken which were normal. The pain was improving, but the pain got worse in the last week. I have full range of motion, and moving my neck does not affect the pain. In the past week I have also started getting minor tingling in my right deltoid, in my right pinky, and in my right toes. (I also have ulnar and carpal tunnel which could explain the hand tingles, and I have a herniated thoracic disk which occasionally causes foot tingling).
History:
I injured my neck on Sept 25, 2014. I was in a hot tub and jumped up and hit the back of my neck (somewhere between C4-T1) on the edge of the hot tub cover that was hanging over the tub. For 2 weeks afterward, I had pain and moderate swelling in the localized area of my neck but no tingling and no bruising. I had X-rays taken which were normal. The pain was improving, but the pain got worse in the last week. I have full range of motion, and moving my neck does not affect the pain. In the past week I have also started getting minor tingling in my right deltoid, in my right pinky, and in my right toes. (I also have ulnar and carpal tunnel which could explain the hand tingles, and I have a herniated thoracic disk which occasionally causes foot tingling).
Brief Answer:
Minimal disc problems at C 3- C 4, C 4 - C 5 and C 5 - C 6 levels possible.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
There are 4 MRI images in the sagittal plane attached and I have viewed it.
There is no serious injury as seen on the given images. However, the possibility of minimal disc bulge in to the spinal canal at levels C 3 - C 4, C 4 - C 5 and C 5 - C 6 needs to be considered. This further requires the axial images to be analysed to comment more on the problem. The changes are too mild but need corrleation with the other set of images taken in axial plane to say the amount of nerve root compression on right side (this is not entirely seen from above images).
Muscle spasm is mild and not significant for a pain existing since past 3 months.
As deltoid muscle is supplied by nerve arising from segments C 5 and C 6 of the spinal cord, analytically the nerve root C 5 comes out at C 4 - C 5 level and C 6 nerve root comes out at C 5 - C 6 level. Therefore the discs at these levels must be seen in axial images to know any compression which is causing the deltoid symptoms.
The little finger is not related to above findings and most likely due to ulnar entrapment at elbow.
Tingling of the toes can be due to lumbar disc herniation.
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
Minimal disc problems at C 3- C 4, C 4 - C 5 and C 5 - C 6 levels possible.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
There are 4 MRI images in the sagittal plane attached and I have viewed it.
There is no serious injury as seen on the given images. However, the possibility of minimal disc bulge in to the spinal canal at levels C 3 - C 4, C 4 - C 5 and C 5 - C 6 needs to be considered. This further requires the axial images to be analysed to comment more on the problem. The changes are too mild but need corrleation with the other set of images taken in axial plane to say the amount of nerve root compression on right side (this is not entirely seen from above images).
Muscle spasm is mild and not significant for a pain existing since past 3 months.
As deltoid muscle is supplied by nerve arising from segments C 5 and C 6 of the spinal cord, analytically the nerve root C 5 comes out at C 4 - C 5 level and C 6 nerve root comes out at C 5 - C 6 level. Therefore the discs at these levels must be seen in axial images to know any compression which is causing the deltoid symptoms.
The little finger is not related to above findings and most likely due to ulnar entrapment at elbow.
Tingling of the toes can be due to lumbar disc herniation.
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
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
