questions about my MRI..myelomalacia

[smile000]

Hi All i just received my MRI and it mentions myelomalacia.. I am very scared. Does this mean that I will wind up being paralyzed? I do have the following symptoms. Needles and Pins in my hands and feet (not all the time) I do work out play soccer and overall stay active. I have had this condition for the last 7 years but my previous MRI did not mention myelomalacia. Can surgery stop further damage to my spine? or will this progress till i am paralyzed. Below is my MRI:

At C3-4 there is a small paracentral disc herniation projecting to the right of the midline. This indents the cord. No abnormal signal is seen within the cord at this level.

At C5-6 there is disc space narrowing with a large posterior osteocartilaginous bar that compresses the sac and flattens the cord. On the T2 weighted sequences we see high signal intensity with both sides of the spinal cord at this level.

At C6-7 there is a small posterolateral osteocartilaginous bar projecting to the right. This indents the sac.

The other levels appear unremarkable

Summary: Multilevel degenerative changes

There is a large posterior osteocartilaginous bar at C5-6 that compresses the cord. There is myelomalacia within the cord at this level.

Can someone please tell me what this means.How bad is this? Will I wind up dying or getting paralyzed?  Will surgery prevent further damage?

[Mikethepike]

And was is the order of symptoms as the disease progresses?

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. Myelomalacia means softening of the spinal cord usually due to hemorrhagic infarction of the spinal cord following acute injury caused by intervertebral disc extrusion.  This causes flaccid paraplegia, total areflexia of the pelvic limbs and anus, loss of deep pain perception caudal to the spinal cord injury site, muscular atrophy, depressed mental state and respiratory difficulty due to intercostals paralysis. The main concern is the ascending syndrome typical feature with gradual cranial migration of the neurological defects. The onset may be subtle and overlooked like hypertension, loss of motor function in extremities. Once damaged nervous system wont respond to any treatment and may worsen. Surgery may stop further damage from compression along with reducing swelling and pain with steroids. Consult your neurologist for further concerns. Take care.