understanding the comparison of my MRI

[Healthneed]

Hello,

I had two MRI's done and trying to understand the changes of the newest one.  If anyone can help I would extremely appreciate this.




MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST

REASON:  OTHER INTER-VERTEBRAL DISC DISPLACEMENT, LUMBOSACRAL REGION

HX:  HISTORY OF LUMBAR DISC HERNIATION.  LUMBAR RADICULOPATHY.

TECHNIQUE:  MULTI-PLANAR MULTI-SEQUENCE NON CONTRAST MRI OF THE LUMBAR SPINE.  EXAM PERFORMED ON A 1.5T MRI SYSTEM.

COMPARISON:  MRI OF 5/27/2015

FINDINGS:  VERTEBRAL BODY HEIGHTS ARE MAINTAINED.  HETEROGENEOUS MARROW SIGNAL WITH T1 MARROW HYPOINTENSITY IS RE IDENTIFIED.  THERE ARE INCREASED MODIC TYPE 1 ENDPLATE CHANGES POSTERIORLY AT L2-L3, L3-L4, AND L4-L5.  THE CONUS MEDULLARIS IS NORMAL IN CONTOUR AND TERMINATES AT L1.

L1-L2: THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF DISC HERNIATION OR SPINAL STENOSIS.

L2-L3:  DISC BULGE AND SMALL RIGHT POSTEROLATERAL DISC HERNIATION WITH CAUDAL DISC EXTRUSION.   THE DISC HERNIATION HAS DECREASED SLIGHTLY COMPARED TO THE PRIOR MRI.  MILT RIGHT LATERAL RECESS NARROWING IS NOTED WITH DECREASED MASS EFFECT ON THE RIGHT L3 NERVE ROOT.  MILT BILATERAL NEURAL FORAMINAL NARROWING IS REIDENTIFIED.

L3-L4:  DISC BULGE WITH MILD VENTRAL CANAL AND MILD BILATERAL NEURA FORAMINAL NARROWING AS BEFORE.

L4-L5:  DISC BULGE AND SMALL LEFT POSTEROLATERAL DISC HERNIATION WITH SLIGHT CEPHALAD DISC EXTRUSION.  MODERATE LEFT NEURAL FORAMINAL NARROWING WITH LEFT L4 NERVE ROOT CONTACT IS REIDENTIFIED.  NO SIGNIFICANT CENTRAL CANAL OR RIGHT NEURAL FORAMINAL STENOSIS.

L5-S1:  MINOR DISC BULGE, FACET ARTHROPATHY AND BUCKLING OF THE LIGAMENTUM FLAVUM ARE NOTED.  NO SIGNIFICANT CENTRAL CANAL OR NEURAL FORAMINAL STENOSIS.

NO PARA SPINAL ABNORMALITY IS DETECTED.
IMPRESSION:  MULTILEVEL DEGENERATIVE CHANGES AND DISC DISEASE WITH STENOSIS.  THERE HAS BEEN SLIGHT EVOLUTION IN DISEASE COMPARED TO THE MRI OF 5/27/2015.