Need help understanding MRI Report please.

[felin]

Hello,

I am actually here on behalf of my dh.

He said that his Dr. wasn't especially concerned with these findings, but, we both would like more opinions. We would also like to better understand, in English (not medical terminology that we do not understand) what this all really means.

I will type the entire thing: Sorry for my ignorance, but I don't know what is and is not significant enough to include.

Technique:
MR imaging of the thoracic spine was performed using a 0.7T open MRI System. Imaging sequences include sagittal T1, sagittal T2 and axial T2 weighted sequences were acquired of the thoracic spine. No intravenous or intrathecal contrast was administered.

Findings:
The visualized portions of the cervical cord, thoracic cord and conus medullaris are normal with the exception of focal linear area of abnormal signal intensity in the ventral aspects of the cord that lateralizes to the right of the midline. It has a thin linear/tubular appearance and can be visualized on 2 contiguous images at the lower C6 adn C6-7 levels. The abnormality can only be seen on the axial images of this examination and is not visualized on the sagittal images. Small focal area of cord myelomalacia should be considered. The thoracic cord is otherwise normal. No significant central or peripheral spinal canal stenoses are identified in the thoracic spinal canal. There are mild hypertrophic degenerative changes off the margins of some of the thoracic vertebral bodies. Minimal bulging of some of the thoracic inervertebral discs, as well as loss of signal from other discs. These are degenerative findings and do not create any significant compromise of the central spinal canal or neural foramina.

Impression:
There is a small linear/tubular focus of abnormal signal intensity in the thoracic cord. The abnormality involves the ventral aspects of the thoracic cord to the right of the midline and begins at approximately the caudal aspects of T6 vertebral body and continues down to the level of the T6-7 disc. The etiology of this lesion is nonspecific. It most likely represents a focus of myelomalacia.

There are no disc herniations or spinal canal stenoses. Only minimal degenerative changes of the thoracic vertebra and thoracic interverterbral discs.

----------------------------------

So, there it is.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!!

Felin

[mistymeanor]

I am far from no doctor, nurse, or anything of the sort... but I do know a lot about medical and am also a medical transcriptionist by trade.

Basically it just sounds as if there is some signs of softening toward the bottom of one of discs and a little into the top of T7 (which on an MRI would show almost as if a "lesion"--but it sounds like they suspect it is otherwise.) Sounds like they just need to keep close eye on this because there is SOME disc degeneration and they will need to follow it to see if it becomes worse. But as of now, it doesn't sound like anything to be TOO worried about. You can not solely diagnose on an MRI... so at this point... just keep an eye on it... Thats what I took from it.

[gac3rd]

Ditto on the medical disclaimer, but it seems the take away sentence is: "These are degenerative findings and do not create any significant compromise of the central spinal canal or neural foramina."

I read this to say you are have some abnormal spots, but this has not impacted neural function."

You might ask how fast the abnormal part is progressing, if at all. If it is long standing and stable, then sounds fine.

[lavenderthistle]

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=16725

This may help with the problem area....similar findings in part.