[ariraven]

#5738

I had a ct scan on dec 28 2011 at the hospital because of neck and left arm pain, there was no injury just woke up with it the day prior to going to the er.They performed a ct scan and told me everything looked fine and it sounded like cervical radiculopathy and refered me to an ortho. Have been seening the ortho since then for ongoing pain in neck and left arm and performing physical therapy he has now refered me to a pain managment specailist. The pain managment specialist asked me to bring a copy of my ct and report and also asked me to get an mri prior to my first visit. When I got a copy of my report I noticed it said: Calcification seen ventral to the dens within the prevertebral soft tissues, of unclear clinical significance. Could this be the cause of the pain, and what the heck does it even mean? No one has mentioned this to me prior and it has me curious. Thank you for you time in answering my question

[ariraven]

#5739

whoops missed that this forum was for professionals will move question to neck pain

[Donald Corenman, MD, DC]

#5743

Neck pain has many difference sources. Most commonly, the discs, facets and nerve roots come to mind. If you were told that “everything looked fine” on the CT scan, have another set of eyes look at the scans. Even with patients who have no neck pain, there is always “something” to be found on the examination. Find an individual who will go over the films with you.

Unless your neck pain is at the base of the skull in the very front- “calcification seen ventral to the dens in the soft tissues” most likely is not what is causing your pain. Tissues that are injured or inflamed tend to calcify.

Dr. Corenman

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