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  • Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8656

    I would get hold of the radiological report and read it yourself. You can also cut and paste it here for interpretation help. I am unclear why your symptoms are present as they do sound myelopathic and cervical structural failure in nature.

    Dr. Corenman

    PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
     
    Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
    Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8656

    You need to get the dictated radiological report and paste it on this website. We can then go over it and discuss at least what the radiologist thought. I don’t like it when someone states “it looks OK” instead of discussing the potential findings.

    You probably are correct in that you feel like the myelopathy is progressing. The source of progression is what needs to be determined.

    Scar tissue formation probably has no particular bearing on your neck disorder. If you need further surgery, scar tissue proliferation makes the surgical approach more difficult but that is neither here nor there for your current situation.

    Dr. Corenman

    PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
     
    Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
    Jazzman
    Participant
    Post count: 11

    Thank you your thoughtful reply. My husband is taking me tomorrow afternoon to get a copy of the dictated report and I will put it on here for your review. Getting into a neurologist is going to take months and I can’t take that. Something I’ve not told anyone not even my husband is that on top of all my myelopathy symptoms something else is happening. Usually but not always, after I’ve been up walking a lot and doing things in my house I will get a very unwell feeling( not nauseated). I will feel both my arms feel extra heavy/weak and I feel this feeling throughout my chest area( no pain). I feel like I’ve been given a drug that is flooding through me weighing me down. Another thing I’ve not told anyone is on occasion I will have a searing pain behind my left eye( usually when I’m laying down with my head crooked to the side). This sickening pain woke me up at 4 in the morning a couple days ago. It was bad, but went away after I changed positions. This is not normal for me, have never experienced it before this all started. My brain CT was fine, no abnormalities.

    I’m one of those people that know their body well and read the signs pretty well. I know this is all connected but I’m hesitant to tell docs this as they may jump straight to “stress”, the dreaded female diagnostic dumping ground. I’m really worried and extremely worried about having to wait months to see a neurologist. You are my touchstone right now and I appreciate it.

    Jazzman
    Participant
    Post count: 11

    Well here are the findings, I don’t see anything illuminating but you are the doc. I don’t have access to a scanner so I’ll just type them in.
    CT C Spine W Contrast. Myelogram Cervical

    HISTORY: Myelopathy, previous anterior and posterior cervical spine surgeries.
    Findings: Features of C5-T1 ACDF with partial left-sided corpectomy of C6 and C7 and mature osseous fusion at these levels. Additionally, laminectomy changes at C6 and C7. Hardware is intact. Artifact from hardware limits image detail somewhat. Posterior elements are solidly fused C5-T1 Bulky osteophytic ridging at right C6, otherwise canal is patent. Small disc osteophyte complexes at C4-5 from junctional disc degeneration, and C3-4. Minimal levocurvature. No spondylolisthesis.No abnormal fluid collection or obvious mass within the spinal canal. No evidence for myelomalacia. Soft tissues are unremarkable.

    Axial levels:
    C1-2: Normal
    C2-3: Normal
    C3-4: Left central disc ostophyte complex indents the ventral thecal sac, mild stenosis. Facet arthrosis with mild right foraminal narrowing. Patent left foramen.
    C4-5: Disc osteophyte complex with bulky right facet arthrosis. Mild narrowing of the spinal canal. Mild to moderate right foraminal narrowing. Patent left foramen.
    C5-6: Posteriorly decompressed. Bulky osteophytic ridging narrows the right lateral recess and approximates the ventral right hemicord. Mild right foraminal narrowing. Patent left foramen.
    C6-7: Posteriorly decompressed. Canal and foraminal are patent.
    C7-T1: Facet arthrosis. Patent canal and foramina.

    I don’t know what to think now, I can’t be left like this. It’s like I’m getting used to this semi- functional state and avoiding being up on my feet much and that’s not healthy. It will be at least 2-3 months to get into a neurologist, and that’s with a referral from the NS. I don’t know if this has any bearing but this was done at a teaching hospital and was done by residents , which I don’t care for as I used to have to work with residents. I know they have to learn on the job but….
    My sister-in-law is an RN and thinks I should go through an ER to be evaluated and fast-track the referral process to the neuro. It may not work that way I’m afraid. This is a living nightmare. Any thoughts? Still not having any horrible pain other than my neck from the severe muscle strain from trying to keep my head up, getting more difficult as time goes by. Staring to have a lot of discomfort in upper thoracic area between shoulder blades, that’s new in the last week. Arms still feel like they are burning here and there, mainly on the upper outer portion. Bowel issues getting noticeably worse. OMG I need someone to actually examine me and help me. Thanks for your insight.

    Jazzman
    Participant
    Post count: 11

    Just an observation, this information seems very skimpy to me especially given my history. I’ve seen my MRI reports in the past and they contain much more detail than this. The NS told me 5 yrs ago that I had significant thickening of the posterior longitudinal ligament, no mention of these structures here. He definitely told me he was going to order an MRI of the neck and head as well as a myelogram of the neck. Don’t know why he opted not to do the MRI of the neck. I questioned his nurse about this when she called to tell me of the test dates but she said she didn’t know either. I’m quite sure he does not want to have to operate on me again. I heard all about what a difficult time he had with the anterior surgery he did on me and he said he would never do an anterior approach on me again. Hmmm, I think I see a conflict here and I’m the big loser. Don’t want to dr shop.

    Donald Corenman, MD, DC
    Moderator
    Post count: 8656

    You have to remember that this is a CT scan where any tissues other than bone are not easily readable. To make a CT study better, it is required to have a myelogram (where dye is injected into the canal) to demonstrate the canal, CSF and any compression. Was this a CT myelogram or just a CT scan?

    Your complaints ” I will feel both my arms feel extra heavy/weak and I feel this feeling throughout my chest area (no pain)” could be from myelopathy but other disorders can cause these symptoms too.

    The CT scan at least notes a solid fusion of the operated levels (“Posterior elements are solidly fused C5-T1″, Features of C5-T1 ACDF with partial left-sided corpectomy of C6 and C7 and mature osseous fusion at these levels”).

    You have some residual cord effacement but no obvious significant cord compression (“C4-5; Mild narrowing of the spinal canal, C5-6; Bulky osteophytic ridging narrows the right lateral recess and approximates the ventral right hemicord”).

    Find out about the myelogram portion of this test.

    Dr. Corenman

    PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
     
    Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
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