Started with One hemangiomas, now have 12 in the Thoracic spine

Hi, Years ago my MRI showed one hemangioma in the Thoracic area, my doctor suggested to do follow up MRI's every year to watch it. I waited a few years and now I have 12. Is this normal to have more as time goes on? I have had an laminectomy in the lumber spine in 84 and a cervical fusion in 2003.  And what can I look forward to as I age with all these hemangiomas?
Thank you


This discussion is related to Chronic Pain in Thoracic Spine.

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Hi, Thank you for your question. Hemangioma is a benign growth of blood vessels that may occur near to spine. As a result of that this may compress the nerves and can be irritated causing weakness in the leg, leg or thigh pain and numbness, tingling. Few persons also face generalized body weakness and numbness due to other nerve irritation on back. If you suffer continuous weakness and notice reduced strength of muscle bulk in both the legs, please arrange an appointment with a neurologist right away who will evaluate the possibilities here. These “red flags” could be indicative of compression of the spinal cord and its nerve branches and early treatment is essential if permanent damage needs to be avoided. Therefore, I would recommend her to show a neurologist who can evaluate the details of your case and could better determine the insight of your situation. Hope this helps.