Please someone help make sense of results

Posted , 5 users are following.

I recently had an mri of head and whole spine and just recieved results. I have since feb last year had severe oins and needles in legs and arms along with severe leg pain 24/7 i have to most days walk with aid and had to give up work. I have constant dizziness and blurred vision. But i am totally bamboozled with trying to work out in layman terms what this means.

Extract from

no abnormalities with brain structural or focal. The radiologist has commented that the semi circular canals appear dysplastic and has recommended a bone algorythm xt of pertous temporal bones!

Regarding spinal cord. No lessions detected. There is an incidental finding of a small haemangioma in the vertebral body of L1. There is also a broad disc bulge with facet joint and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy causing lateral recess stenosis and contact with the transiting L5 nerve roots. Although there is no convincing nerve root compression.

I am totally baffled. All i know is i need physio but the rest is just medical jargon. I had a slipped disc about 5 yrs ago. Can anyone help me make sense of this please as dont have doctors for a week!

Many thanks

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Posted

    Don't know the brain terms, but.... no damage to spinal cord, a haemangioma is a clump of blood vessels- usually a birthmark, I have one on my liver, nothing to worry about.

    Your bone structure is a bit narrow (stenosis) where L5 nerve goes through, but no evidence of pressure on the nerve.

    Your disc is bulging and flattened at L5 level.

    hope this helps a bit.

    • Posted

      Thanks laura!

      Why they couldnt just have said what you did to me!

      Unfortunatly doesnt explain why i have nerve pain and pins and needles in my legs all the time.

      The first bit i googled and this is part of ear and would definatly explain the balance/

      thank you for your help x

  • Posted

    The pins and needles, if in your lower legs and feet are neuropathy, caused by damage in the L5 region, could be that there is no entrapment now of the nerve but has been in the past, but that wouldn't count for pins and needles in your arms. One thing it could be is arthritic changes in your spine, which could cause stenosis in different areas of your spine.

    Are you taking any drugs for nerve pain? Gabapentin, Lyrica etc. If not, it would be worth asking at your pain clinic. It does say there is contact with your exiting L5 nerve root. If your nerve at thus point is being annoyed by this, that would be enough to cause the leg neuropathy.

    • Posted

      My doctor is fascinated by me! Its taken such a long time and many doctors saying i was having 25/7 panic attacks! Luckily the doctor im with didnt think that and he too thought nerves. But my weird problem is it didnt start in my feet first it started in lower right abdomen and at first appendicitis was thought but it wasnt and a year and a half in i still have the pain daily. It then progressed to my lower legs with intermittent pins and needles and heavy painful legs to which became what they are now chronic and daily. I was given pre gabalin but haf a bad reaction which i seem to have with every drug. Alas im allegic to morphine and codeine! So now ive been on amitriptyline 10mg for 10 days now i seem to tolerate it ok but i cant say its done anything for pain or pins and needles. Im at a loss as are doctors
    • Posted

      I take Gabapentin for nerve pain, it does help, but you need to keep upping the dose and it makes you woozy! No, I can't take codeine or morphine either. Took naproxen for years, but it caused gastric ulcers, so not on pain killers or anti inflams now-- not great.

      Amitriptyline nearly puts me to sleep, and pregabalin made me put lots of weight on, can't win. 

    • Posted

      Cant win really either deal with all the pain or deal with all the side effects. My worry is because i have balance and dizziness without meds most of them have that as a side effect.

      I wonder if the problems with the head is due to a head concussion trauma i had 20yrs ago in a boating accident. They tell you youre fine after but who knows with the head! I think the spine is years of lifting heavy things through work and slipping a disc its just got worse over time.

      I take the amitriptyline at this time of night and all it helps with is sleep! But not pain.

      Can i ask what it is you take gabapentin for? Did you have accident?

    • Posted

      Take gabapentin for nerve pain in legs and feet. Yes lifted something heavy and damaged my spine, had it fused, didn't help.

  • Posted

    "There is also a broad disc bulge with facet joint and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy causing lateral recess stenosis and contact with the transiting L5 nerve roots. Although there is no convincing nerve root compression."

    You've got some crap going on at L1 and L5.  The radiologist can't understand why he/she signs of stenosis without nerve root compression.  Seems that you need a CT/Myelogram with contrast (the "gold standard" spine test) and a top notch neurosurgeon to read it.  I had severe bilateral stenosis at L2/L3 that was cured in one day via an LLIF (lateral) fusion.  Search YouTube for "Globus LLIF".  Amazing 90-minute procedure which left me with zero residual pain, no mandatory rehab and no required brace.  Silver Bullet choice.  

    First test and neuro...then a solution. 

  • Posted

    All the stuff about dysplastic semicircular canals and the pertous temporal bone has to do with your inner ear which is responsible for your sense of balance.  Yours is "dysplastic" and hence, you are dizzy.  The radiologist is asking for further testing, the bone algorithm to look at the pertous temporal bones on which these semi circular canals lie. Perhaps you feel like your vision is blurry because you are so dizzy, but nothing is really wrong with your vision, it's all related to inner ear problems.  You need to see a good ENT ( ear nose and throat doc).

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