Kindly explain the MRI taken for back pain.

Question

Hello doctor,

I am having hot and cold sensations in lower extremities for about a month. Chronic back pain for many years but more recently tingling in legs. I had MRI done today and saw this spot within one of the vertebral bodies that looks to be a calcific and circular lesion.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

There are two to three hyperintense (white) areas in the L1, L3, and L4 vertebrae. There are likely hemangiomas and are benign findings and not causing your problem. This is not a calcified area and is a common finding in many individuals. This is not of concern. The real issues are due to the degenerative disc changes at L1-L2 to L5-S1 disc levels.

The discs are hypointense (black), and there are disc desiccation and mild posterior disc bulge. You can observe that there is neural foramina compromise in L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 disc levels. There is pressure on the nerves, and that is the reason for your abnormal hot and cold sensations and the chronic low backache. There are mild osteophytes in the lumbar vertebrae and mild endplate degenerative changes in the opposing end plates at the level of L5-L1 disc level. There are changes in the bone due to lumbar spondylosis.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

There is no reason to get worried. A CT scan will surely give us more details of the bones. The blood tests are a part of a general workup. The follow-up MRI in 6 months is per standard procedures followed in case of suspected spine lesions.

I hope this helps. Thank you.