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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Does My MRI Scan Report Indicate?

I was in a car accident in July 2014, I was rear ended. I have seen my PCP, a neurologist and will be seeing an ortho hand surgeon soon, for a fracture of the middle finger of the left hand which a bone scan recently showed. I have been diagnosed with "Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Of The Left Upper Extremity". I have had eight weeks of OT and a round of prednisone, without improvement. I am currently on Neurontin. I have had a progressive intense "burning" pain in my fingers of my left hand (originally the pain started in the third and fourth fingers of my left hand). The pain is increasing. I am not able to take any narcotics for pain. I have stiffness, redness, swelling and decreased mobility in my left hand. I experience temperature changes (both hot and cold in my left fingers). ADL's are very difficult. My Neurologist is aware of above symptoms and I guess he is trying to find the origin of the CRPS. I have had two sets of hand/finger X-rays, a bone scan and recently an MRI of the brain. The MRI of the brain showed stenosis and my Neurologist ordered an MRI of the cervical spine. I am wondering what my neurologist is thinking and how would stenosis be related to my diagnosis of CRPS? Thank you
Thu, 18 Dec 2014
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Neurologist,  's  Response
I read your question and I understand your concern.

The CRPS is often a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning as there is no specific test for it, other possible conditions predisposing or causing similar symptoms should be excluded. One of these conditionsis is also nerve root or spinal cord compression in the cervical spine.
You have to be more specific on where that stenosis (narrowing) is, but I doubt that it has been found in the brain itself. I assume since the MRI of brain also visualizes the upper part of the cervical spine the stenoses has been found in that region and so he has requested the MRI to investigate the whole cervical region for nerve root or spinal cord compression.

I hope to have been of help.
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What Does My MRI Scan Report Indicate?

I read your question and I understand your concern. The CRPS is often a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning as there is no specific test for it, other possible conditions predisposing or causing similar symptoms should be excluded. One of these conditionsis is also nerve root or spinal cord compression in the cervical spine. You have to be more specific on where that stenosis (narrowing) is, but I doubt that it has been found in the brain itself. I assume since the MRI of brain also visualizes the upper part of the cervical spine the stenoses has been found in that region and so he has requested the MRI to investigate the whole cervical region for nerve root or spinal cord compression. I hope to have been of help.