MRI SCAN RESULTS

[craftyman5]

HELLO,
I hope someone can help me decipher my MRI scan results, my head is a mess since seeing my GP. Cannot remember what he said. any takers?

Leg pain, shooting in nature to L3/L4 distribution, parathesia to S1

From T10 - T11 to the sacrum has been imaged.
There are mild to moderate degenerative changes in the lower thoracic spine. Normal conus medullaris.
At L1 - L2 and L2 - L3 there are dehydration, loss of disc height and bulging of the disc with no definitive thecal sac or root compression.
There is mild anterolisthesis of L3 over L4. At L3-L4 there is disc dehydration, mild endplate osteophytes and broad-based disc protrusion. In addition there are marked degenerative hypertrophic changes of the facet joints causing moderate to sever spinal canal stenosis.
At L4-L5 there are mild degenerative disc changes with no definite thecal or root compression.
At L5-S1 ther is dilation, loss of disc height, marginal osteophytes at the end plates, and type 2 Modic changes at the endplates.
Very mild central disc protrusion, No nerve root on the thecal sac compression

many thanks

[LivingInHope]

It is a lot to take in and indeed, I can imagine it would be shocking and difficult to absorb in the doctor's office.  I like to take someone with me to be an extra set of ears to the doctor as I miss things.  It can be hard to take what the doctor is saying all in as the patient!  You're welcome!  Did they suggest options of treatment?

[craftyman5]

Many thanks, things seem to fall into place now, it was just shock when he told me, things didnt seem to sink in.
thanks again
regards
craftyman5

[LivingInHope]

You're welcome- hope I didn't steer you wrong at all here.  I looked up a word here and there, but not everything.  Did it sound familiar at all- remind you of what your GP told you?

[craftyman5]

Many thanks, this is a lot easier to understand.
thanks again
kind regards
craftyman5

[LivingInHope]

A lay person with nurse's training in the long distant past taking a stab at it:

Thoracic vertebraes number and 1 and 2 have moderate degeneration going on- guessing arthritis there.

At Lumbars 1-3- I'm guessing age may be drying up the fluid in between the vertebrae as it does in knees and other joints.  You've got a bulging disc that is being squished between the second and third lumbar vertabraes, but it does not appear to be pressing on your spinal cord.  

Your third lumbar vertebrae appears to be positioned abnormally over your fourth lumbar vertebrae.  You've got bone spur formation- but not large ones I'd guess by the word "mild" and with 'broad-based' disc protusion, I'm guessing it might be a herniated disc you've got between L 3 and L 4.  

You have degeneration going on that I guess by the word hypertrophic means the facet joints have actually increased in size and you have a moderate to severe narrowing of the spinal canal in the region, which isn't a good thing for your spinal cord.

Between your fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae, you've got some disc degeneration but it's mild and your spinal cord is not being compressed there.

Between the fifth lumbar vertebrae and the first sacral vertebrae (talking low back here), you have a squished disc and some bone spurs at the end plates.  Your normal bone marrow at the end plates has changed to yellow fatty marrow which evidently comes from a lack of oxygenated blood to the area (ischemia).  You have a very slight (guess) bulge or herniation and your spinal cord is not being compressed down there.  (See PM for source about modic vertebral endplate.)