New Symptoms following MRI

[soonergirl39]

I had this MRI on June 16, 2009 have appointment with Neurologist on August1.  I was having a lot of problems with the lumbar area, with trouble walking and numbness and tingling to bil upper and lower extremities.  I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and also had a lumbar laminectomy and spinal fusion on L3,4,5 in 2001.  Started having all these problems and was sent to Neurologist and he ordered and additional CT to check for fusion.  I had previously had MRI, with lots of post op changes.  The CT stated no fusion.  I will have to have surgery later down the road to corrected the lower lumbar.  Also started Steroidal Injections lumbar and some of the symptoms in lower have been a lot better.   My Rheumatologist ordered cervical MRI due to I was dropping things several times a day.  I had been dropping things for a couple of years but this had gotten a lot worse.  Cervical MRI is as follows, but some new symptoms have occurred, I now have dizziness with movement and numbness to the left side of my face and tongue at times.  Could this be caused by my cervical issues?  I go into see the Neurologist on the 1st.  Is the stenosis getting worse?  I don't find where dizziness and facial numbness is a symtpom of cervical stenosis.  Could it be a new problem, I have no problems with incontinence urinary or bowel?  Will surgery be likely?

The vertebral bodies are maintained in height.  There is straightening of the normal cervical lordosis.
The C2-3 level is normal.  The C3-4 level demonstrates a small disk osteophyte complex eccentric to the left with indentation of the ventral thecal sac.
At C4-5 small disk osteophyte complex is demonstrated.
At C5-6, a broad based disk osteophyte complex indents the thecal sac and abuts the spinal cord.  There is root entry zone and central spinal stenosis.  At C6-7, a disk osteophyte complex indents the thecal sac and abuts the ventral spinal cord resulting in central and lateral recess stenosis.  The C7-T1 level is normal.

Impression:
1.  Tricompartmental stenosis at C5-6 and C6-7 resulting from disk osteophyte complexes.
2. Small disk osteophyte complex eccentric to the right at C3-4.
3.  Cervical straightening.

I appreciate the response.

Thanks
Soonergirl 39

[Kalvin]

You've got a lot going on with your back and neck, I know it really takes its toll on a person after awhile, physically and emotionally, I've been through it with my back too. I doubt if any of this is in your head, its never that simple. The kids don't understand and they don't like to see someone they love in pain, no one does.

Hope everything works out and you feel better soon, let us know whats going on.


Take Care

[soonergirl39]

I do have right shoulder pain and also between my shoulder blade and spine on the right side.  I was having a lot of problems walking but since have had the steroidal injections in the lower back and it has gradually gotten better.   I also have pain in my hands, hips, knees and ankles at time along with the lower back pain.  My neck is usually stiff but do have headache and pain at times.   But I also have Rheumatoid so I think that it is also so it is hard to say which is causing the pain.  I do at times have pain in my feet, legs arms and hands but it is not constant. The dizziness only started 4 days ago, but is very aggravating if I get up and move around of turn my head it gets bad.  I also have started stumbling .  I sometimes feel like it is all in my head, and don't really want to talk about it to my family they are very supportive, especially my husband, but I have younger child and they get worried very easy.  

Thank you for your response, I hope your upcoming surgery is a success.  I see the neurologist on Monday so I am hoping for the best.  Hope the above gives you a clearer picture.  

Soonergirl 39

[Kalvin]

The C3-4 level demonstrates a small disk osteophyte complex eccentric to the left with indentation of the ventral thecal sac.

The indentation of the thecal sac doesn’t generally cause any symptoms and really isn’t a problem unless it’s significant enough that there’s canal stenosis, but there’s none noted at this level.

At C5-6, a broad based disk osteophyte complex indents the thecal sac and abuts the spinal cord.  There is root entry zone and central spinal stenosis.

Here the disc osteophyte is a little more significant and indents the thecal sac and abuts (which basically means up against or touches) the cord. At this level you also have foraminal and canal stenosis, but it doesn’t note the severity, which is odd.
C6-7 is pretty much identical to C5-6.

I had a cervical fusion 5 years ago, and I still have a lot of neck problems, matter of fact, I’m going to have another surgery soon. One of my symptoms is left-sided facial numbness and tingling, I’ve got it about 80% of the time, I’ve done a lot of research on it and it’s caused by irritation of the cervical (C1-C4) nerves there’s a link between these nerves and the three branches of the trigeminal nerve. There are also correlations between the upper cervical and tongue numbness, problems swallowing, nausea and sometimes vomiting. You don’t show any problems at these levels except for that small disk osteophyte complex at C3-4, but the Radiologist might have missed something.

Dizziness can be caused by any one of the levels in the c-spine. I’ve got a herniation at C3-4 with cord compression, and I think that’s where my facial problems originate. If you’re getting it when you turn your head a certain way that means something being compressed.

The dropping things is a symptom of myelopathy, but you should have other symptoms besides that, like difficulty walking or bowel and bladder problems. Hopefully it's not myelopathy.

Your MRI doesn’t note the severity of anything, at C5-6 its says you have foraminal and canal stenosis, but it doesn’t say how bad it is. Same thing at C6-7.

Do you have any neck, upper back, shoulder or arm pain? It’s really hard to know how severe any of this is without knowing how much pain you have. The cord compression is a concern, but depending on your symptoms, it might not be that bad. The Neurologist is going to have to look at the films himself and see.


Take Care