benign bone hemangiomata

I just had an MRI of my lower spine, because I have been having more low back pain and now a sharp pain down my right leg. I go to see a Orthopedic Surgeon soon... But as I was reading the report that came with the films of my
MRI I noticed the following words and I have been wondering what they mean.. I have tried looking it up but it keeps telling me I am spelling one of the words wrong.  The report says" benign bone hemangiomata" in the L2-L3 range.
Can you tell me what this means?
Thank you in advance

[mqrcie]

Hi, I was just diagnosed with the same thing recently and have gone through a bunch of tests.  If you google lumbar spine hemangiomas or hemangiomatous changes you will come up with a boat load of sites to check out.
I found out after an MRI and nuclear med bone scan and a spine surgeon that what I have are 3 hemangiomas that are completely inside the vertebral bodies which is unusual since most people have one and they are almost always found as incedental findings.  I was found to have 2 herniated lumbar disks and 3 hemangiomas but the hemangiomas are not involved outside the vertebral bodies and therefor not the issue for my pain.  I have to undergo a discogram (not thrilled with that test!) because the bulges are on the left side but all my pain from lower back, butt and down the leg to foot are all on the right.  The discogram and following CT scan should show where the pain is exactly and where the disk is leaking out.  Had a disco on the cervical spine years ago but that was before I was drug tolerant and now I'm really apprehensive because pain meds don't work well.  My pain mangagement doc assures me he'll do everything he can to manage the pain but I do have to be coherent enough to tell him if he hit the right spot.  I'll do anything to get some answers.
My spine doc assures me that the hemangiomas are not the problem that they are incedental but I'm not so sure.  We'll see.  In any event, they are benign but if they go outside the vertebral body then I think they can affect other things but mine don't.  Chances are you will find out that your back issues are disk related but I'm no doc and haven't read your report.  BTW, insist always on getting copies of your reports and CD's (they can make you copies, mine were free) of your MRI's.  I have learned to get these things BEFORE I see the specialist so they don't have to call in to the referring doc because someone didn't forward the reports by the time I went in.  This was the case with my spine surgeon and I was so glad I had the info avail. for him.  Also, my ortho doc couldn't help with the spine stuff as he was more general ortho, not a specialist that deals only with the spine.
That is terrible that you lost your insurance!  What can you do about it?  Can you get public health?  Sorry this is so lengthy but I wanted you to have something to go on from someone who is dealing with it at this moment.
Good luck to you and you can alway write me privately or click on my profile and leave a message, I've been dealing with spine problems since 1995 and been through a LOT. Marcy

[imforgven]

hi Marcy
Thank you for responding to my question.. I went to the orthopedic surgeon yesterday to see what he says.. Not having insurance it cost me $250.00, but he didnt really tell me anything. Most said that he could operate to fix things but it would be risky because of my perpherial neuropathy, spinal stenosis, my weight and all the other things going on with me. Not that I would probably have the surgery even if I had insurance. He told me I should try injections again since it seemed to help 3 years ago.. But I cant really afford that either. I asked him what "benign bone hemangiomata was all I got out of him was that benign means its not cancer(which I already knew). But I still dont know what it really means other then not cancerous. I have the films of my MRI, I was surprised that they didnt put them on a disk instead of film. So that was basically it for my visit to the surgeon.

[mqrcie]

have you googled "lumbar spina hemangiomas"  and got a ton of info, amazing what you can find on the internet.  Also they say not to operate on hemangiomas because they are a mass of blood vessels and are easy to hemmorage etc.  Check it out if you want.
I wish you luck...M

[Djjack]

Just to add to what Marcy said - I was diagnosed with these things at multiple levels some years ago.  My understanding (from a Professor of Reumatology) is that the term hemangiomata refers to  bundles of immature blood vessels and nerve tissue which originate in the body's attempt to cope with the abnormal load placed on it by disc degeneration.  They, as he told me, are nothing to worry about as of themselves.

Jack