Worried about spinal cord lesion

[Mihir Khandelwal]

Dear Friends !!

Hi this is Mihir Khandelwal here from India.I am in a lot of mental stress since the day a lesion was detected in my spinal cord D3- D4 region.The good news is that I have done 4 -5 MRI's
over a period of 14 months. the lesion has remained the same in size and shape and no new lesions have developed in the brain or spine. Currently I have some headaches and neck and head tingling. Had little weakness in leg but its better now...I can give everyone the scan reports in details... but waiting for some one to help me so that i can give the details.

[adonisdip]

A related discussion, Spinal Cord Lesions was started.

[nusha]

A related discussion, lesion on spinal cord was started.

[wammers]

Hi,  I have had a lesion at level T9-10 which started out three years ago as a size 8mm which widened the spinal column but now it is a size 3mm and has remained at this level for quite sometime.  My question is, my legs are heavy, on the right side from the waist down are extremely painful especially with walking, sitting, and laying.  Do you think this lesion can cause all of these problems.  I have been going to a physical therapist and a chiropractor for 3 weeks and he gives adjustments on the thoracic area and the lumbar region he is unable to do because it is so tight.  I would like to know what I need to do or what you think is the problem

[Mihir Khandelwal]

Hi !

Thanks for such a quick reply..
The detials of the MRI done are that a lesion was observed in the dorsal spine. The lesion is hperintense it mentions and it is poorly marginated.It is faint in colour and it has remained the same (static) over a year now.Clinically i have a little leg weakness and tingling but not much. It has become better over time. This new neck tingling is something I am not understanding as the lesion is in the mid back and not cervical region. I have L'Hermittes sign, but it has become less intense now.The MRI report also mentions that he infiltration cannot be ruled out entirely and follow up needs to be done.Also in the MRI it is commented that the faint colour is typical of an acute demylenating plaque. I have done the SSEP and VEP tests which were normal.My doctor has reccomended that we will follow up with another MRI after 6 months or 1 year.I am just worried about what could the future be as i need to make plans for my future life and I am 25 right now. Got to take some decisions with respect to personal life and career growth. Is this lesion a cause for worry ?

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-SH]

First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes. Your spinal column is divided into 3 regions based called the cervical (C's), Thoracic (T's) and Lumbar (L's).  I am not aware of any D's.  I assume that you are refering to C3-C4 region since you describe neck tingling, but I cannot be sure.  A lesion in the spinal cord can be due to various different problems.  Some possibilities include demyelinating disease (multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, etc) tumors (gliomas, epondmyomas, lymphoma) and infectious processess (tuberculosis, abscess, etc).  An MRI with contrast can help differentiate between some of these(each has their own pattern of enhancement/non-enhancement).  Another required step is a lumbar puncture to look for inflammation (as in multiple sclerosis, or infection) and abnormal cells (sometimes found with tumors).  Another ancillary test may include SSEP (somato-sensory evoked potentials) to tests the integrity of the "wires" going from your leg to your brain. It would also be helpful for you to see a counselor regarding your stress.  Medical conditions are often very stressfull and can precipitate depression, and delay your recovery. I hope this has been helpful.