Worried....New MRI..missed Dr. call on Friday

ajspine · #1 (**permalink**) 05-10-2014, 09:45 AM

and increasing pain. So sorry I haven't been on the board to help support others but my headaches have been back and most of time has been spent with Grad school. I just had another MRI on Thursday(to look at the cervical ADR they put in 8 months ago) and got a copy of the disc before I left, but it was just read yesterday. I missed my Dr. call and her message got cut off so I all that was said was: "Hi AJ, I don't have anything extremely urgent but." Then the message cut off, and of course the office was closed by the time I called back. My Pain and numbness have been increasing and we finally have some meds that work and I was hoping to be back on track. I have attached one of the images(Sorry its so big, I can't make it smaller) and it does not look right to me, but I am hoping that they are supposed to look like this following an ADR because the MRI could look different. Any input would be greatly appreciated as I am scared and won't be able to talk with the Dr. until 8 am on Monday. Thank you so much.
AJ

mmglobal · #2 (**permalink**) 05-10-2014, 02:52 PM

With all the "I'm not a doctor" qualifiers... this is metal artifact... MRI is Magnetic Resonance Imaging and magnetic metals distort the image. My MRI's look just like yours at the levels with metal.

Even with endoscopic discectomies where no metal is implanted, microscopic metal debris left by the surgical tools can substantiall distort the images.

Take a breath.. relax... it is unlikely that what you are seeing is actually what it looks like.

Mark

ajspine · #3 (**permalink**) 05-10-2014, 02:58 PM

Mark,
Thank you so much, I was worried. And I am still concerned because my Drs have never called right after an MRI. They probably just want me to go back to NS to address the other problem discs. Have a great weekend!
AJ

mmglobal · #4 (**permalink**) 05-10-2014, 03:25 PM

I had the same thing happen with me last year. A thoracic MRI showed a huge spot in my spinal canal where nothing had over ever been seen before. OMG... a tumor? OMG!!!

It turns out that CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) is pulsatile... you can feel the heartbeat in the thecal sac. That pulsing comes from the movement of spinal fluid. If the timing if an MRI slice is perfect, it can image a 'bubble' of CSF.

I spoke to the radiologist and he explained it, saying that this is common. I thought it was weird because I've looked at thousands of MRI's in the last 15 years and hadn't seen this. Amazingly, the very next MRI that a client sent me showed the same thing.

Interesting stuff!

Take care... you have a great weekend too.

Mark

ajspine · #5 (**permalink**) 05-10-2014, 03:29 PM

Thanks Mark. I need to stop worrying so much but the VA has made mistakes with me before. "Once bitten, twice shy", Don't know if that is right, lol

Maria · #6 (**permalink**) 05-10-2014, 06:02 PM

looking at your MRI and not knowing what I'm looking at other than the ADR I'd have wondered if it should look like that as well and if it were a reason for concern. I hope your doctor was just going to tell you to follow up with xyz should your symptoms increase or give you warning symptoms for hitting the ER/ED. Other than that hoping that what was said is correct re "nothing extremely urgent but..." and you can relax and follow up on Monday. Good luck. The unknown is often scary esp. with some of this crazy spine stuff.