Help with MRI

History includes removal of cellular schwannoma in 1994 at L2 via laminectomy at UCLA.  No complications ... symptom free until about 7 months ago when I started waking up with some numbness/tightness in Left lower calf and under toes.  

MRI reads as follows ...

Suspect clumping together or nerve roots in the central canal at L2-3, L3-4, and L4-5 suspicious for arachnoiditis.

3 mm posterior disc bulge at L4-5. Mild central canal stenosis. Moderate degenerativfe disc disease. Facet degenerative changes with miild fluoroscopic facet joint synovitis. Mile bilateral neural foraminal stonsis and mild central canal stenosis.

Mild facet degenreative changes at L5-S1 with mild bilateral facet joint synovitis.

Symptoms over the past 7 moths include mild Left calf tightness/numbness upon waking ... resolved during the day. Now have occassional thigh cramps /numbness ..

Findings stated:

There are post operative changes involving posterior elements at L2-3 consistent with laminectomy.  Note is made that the nerve roots in the central canal at this level are clumped toether and also appear somewhat clumped together at L3-L4, L4-5 levels.  Arachnoiditis could give this appearance.  Consideration could be given to perfomring a follow-up MRI with intravenous gadolinium given the patient's history of surgery, if clinically indicated.

The distal spinal cord/conus medullaris appear grossly unremarkable.  However, once again the nerve roots in the central canal are believed to be clumped together and also accentuated to the right of midline at L2-3 level.

No significant posterior disc protrusions, extrusions or bludges are identified at T11-12, T12-L1, L1-2, L2-3, L3-4, L5-S1.  There are mild facet degenerative changes, bilaterally at L5-S1 with mild synovitis of the facet joints consistant with small effusion in the facet joints.

At L4-5, there is moderative degenerative disk disease with disc space narrowing, disc desiccation, and endplate reactive changes.  There is a 3 mm broad-based posterior disc bulge.  The central canal is minimally stenotic.  There are mild to moderate hypertrophic facet joints with small effusions in the bilateral facet joints consistent with synovitis.  The neural foramina are mildly stenotic proximally as a result of these findings.

Orthopedic surgeon looked at the films and said it was Arachoiditis ... just scar tissue from the surgery which is to be expected ... prescribed Arthrotec and told to come back in 2 weeks.  He didn't do the surgery ... but has worked with my mother extensively so I trust him ... still scared though.

I haven't had any pain ... just the funny tightness, sensory stuff following the dermatome.  A bit of sciatica today ... Really concerned about the arachnoiditis ... does it present like this? Could symptoms be caused by other things in the report? Before all this I have been cycling 50 miles a week, walking 4 ... now I am so scared that I am about to become debilitated ... is this progressive?

[cnelson5266]

Need to correct - orthopedic surgeon said it WAS NOT arachnoiditis - just scar tissue from removing the intradural, extra medullary tumor.