CERVICAL MRI NORMAL-T1/2 IS NOT A-SYSMETRICAL?! please help!

[Vicki__0__0]

  Dear Dr.:  I was in a mva 6 months ago and have had pain in my upper neck (c2) and shoulder blade.  I had a mri done and the cervical sprine looked normal.  I saw the doctor today and she kept saying "HUH...HUH"  When I asked what that meant, she showed me at the T1/2 where the MRI showed it was not a symetrical like the others.  She then proceeded to ignore it saying that it would not be causing my pain and I would just have to let time heal the whiplash injury.  What do you think this could mean?  I have had tingling in my right hand and arm (not alot however).  Could this be significant of an injury and could she be passing it by as nothing showed up in the cervical area?!  What kind of symptoms would I receive from something at the t1/2 area?  and what could it mean that it showed as being NOT A_SYSMETRICAL like the other images?
  Thank you so VERY much!
  Vicki
  Thank you!
=
Without seeing the film myself, it is impossible to really make any comment about the interpretation of the films. This is often the case where I see a perfectly good radiologist's report, but still need to see the film myself because a picture is worth 1000 words - you just can't cover everything in detail in a written report. Unfortunately, I have no idea what you mean about the relative symmetry or asymmetry of the vertebrae at each level - it may mean something or it could just be normal variation.
A problem at T1-2 would seem unlikely to contribute to upper neck pain. It may conceivably play a role in arm/hand tingling, but only in a limited distribution.
My experience has been that pain often is experienced out of proportion to the degree of MRI abnormality. In some cases, it even seems that major MRI abnormalities are associated with less pain, though this is not a rigorous statement. The take-home point is that I don't use MRI to prove or disprove symptoms (pain, tingling, etc). Instead, MRI is useful for deciding whether any threatening lesion exists which could be the cause.
If interpretation of your films is at the point where someone calls it normal, and another doctor sees something that is hard to describe, then your symptoms are not likely to be due to anything which could permanently damage the nervous system structures (though some damage may have been done at the time of the MVA). That is, there are no discs or other masses causing destruction/damage by compression. That's important to know for proper management. For example, it doesn't sound like a surgeon would have anything to remove.
Probably the best thing to do, for your peace of mind, is to seek a second neurologic opinion. Bring the films with you. If the second neurologist tells you that your symptoms match those expected for a whiplash injury and time will heal, then you at least have the confidence of two opinions. Obviously, if something was missed, you have an opportunity to find it.
If you desire, you may call 800 223-2273 and ask for neurology appointments at 4-5559.
I hope this helps. As you know, this information is posted for your education. Specific comments regarding diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options must come from your doctor after appropriate evaluation. CCF MD mdf.