SO Confused! MRI and CT Scan Show Different Results!! HELP!

M

Megss

New member
I got my CT scan results in the mail today, and they are QUITE different from my MRI results.

According to the MRI, I have grade 1 Spondylolisthesis and mild disc disease/ disc bulge/ tear in disc at L4-L5 (but no herniation). There were some other things stated too, but less important I think.

My CT scan says I have Spondylosis with NO spondylolisthesis! It also says I have 2 herniated discs, one at L4-L5 and one at L5-S1.

HELP! What on earth do I believe! I do not meet again with the surgeon until a week from today!
 
Oh, and regarding the discs...

Maybe your physio was right (how long was there between the MRI and CT scans - days/weeks/months?).

Alternatively, CT scans show bones better whereas MRI show the soft tissue (discs, nerves etc...) best. Therefore, i'd be inclined to go with the MRI. Having said that, often the reports come down to the ability of the radiologist to interpret them. What's a bulge to some, is a herniation to others...

Usually I ignore the absolute details and wait for the surgeon's interpretation...my surgeon's never read the reports before looking at the scans. They look at the scans first and make their own interpretations. If the scan report says something different, or something additional, I usually then ask the surgeon his opinion.

Cheers
Jinks
 
Hi Jinks-

There was about a month and a half in between the MRI and the CT scan. The fracture is certain. An x-ray, MRI, and CT scan all showed that. The CT scan is the only test that did not show any slippage. The x-ray and MRI did.

I know I need to wait to speak with the surgeon, but it is soo hard!
 
I hope for you that you get the right anser, I have ankylosing spondyltis but my dr refuses to believe i do becuase i was diagonsed by a bloodtest, and im female, i was having hip problems,so he had me do and mri well we fixed that but im now having sever burning above my elbows in both arms.and my shoulders are hurting at same time.and for some reason i feel like im having shortness a breath, i wasnt to and RA dr who had did some more blood work to see if it could be that i have RA but she feels its AS all i know is i cant take the pain much more ill find out on the 9th what the test showed,
i wish ytou luck maybe the test should be redone so you know what is really going on here.
sue
 
I know the waiting game is never easy - and trust me it doesn't get easier the further along you go (until the day before the op, when you wish you had a few more days to prepare!).

With regarRAB to the slippage, I imagine the surgeon would want to address it even if it doens't show on the more recent CT scan, if its happened before chances are it'll happen again - having said that, sometimes they prefer not to operate on small grade slippage, often it depenRAB on whether its causing pain, and of course, whether you want surgery.

With regarRAB to the discs, I imagine 6 weeks is enough time for a bulging disc to herniate, but as I said before it often depenRAB on who is interpreting the scans (and the same could apply to seeing or not seeing the slippage!).

I've had 2 operations and am hoping for a third, on a disc that may or not be herniated. It was definately compressing the nerve, no doubt, but depending on who was looking at the scans, they'd sometimes say herniated, sometimes say bulging. Even now, 2 ops and tonnes of scans later, they still say either herniated+scar tissue, bulging + scar tissue, or just scar tissue...depending on who you ask. The point is, something was (still is) definately compressing the nerve there and causing pain.

Hang in there, in a few days you'll see the surgeon and have a much better idea of what's going on. Take the opportunity to ask lots of questions. Get them to explain clearly any treatment (surgery, injections etc..) they suggest (what, when, how, why, what'll happen if I do, what'll happen if I don't). Its good to try and write a list beforehand of things to ask, because when you're in there you always forget things.

Best of luck
Jinks
 
Meggs.....

Your discogram results will better tell you what is wrong. It sounRAB as if what the MRI and CT scan is close on the spondlyosis I am not real sure what spon. is though? just try to relax I replied to 1 of your other post but the mod moved my post. When you have time go read it and maybe it will help?

Take care,
Lynn
 
They already tried a nerve root injection, and it did absolutely nothing for my pain level. I am really just hoping for surgery. The pain is so bad and I don't think my work will put me on dissability until I have surgery. I actually missed 3 days this week, which is not good.
 
Thanks for your responses!

Lynn- The discogram won't tell us anything about my Spondy. I have a fracture in my spine, and it is causing the L5 vertebrae to slip forward. The MRI (and an x-ray I also had) says I have the fracture and the slippage, and the CT scan says I only have the fracture.

I spoke with my neigrabroador who is a Chiropractor, and she helped me interpret some of the fancy wordage of the CT results. The 2 herniations I have are apparently bran new, so that's why the MRI didn't say anything about that (they weren't herniated yet when I had the MRI). She still thinks the spondy slippage is there, but it is only grade 1, so perhaps the CT was at the wrong angle or something to show it. She thinks the spondy is causing my disc issues, so should therefore be corrected with a fusion, otherwise things will continue to get worse.

Any more insight or opinions would be great!
 
Here's a thought,

the fracture is certain (yes?). Perhaps sometimes this causes displacement, and sometimes not. So perhaps the vertabra had slipped a little when you had your MRI, but was back in alignment during the CT scan? It could also be to do with your position during the scans (I know my slippage is "active" so its worse in some positions than others, and I guess probably varies day-to-day aswell). Or like you say, it could be just a slightly different angle.

Best wishes
Jinks
 
They never did anything for me either...two before the op, one after...

Well, I've got my fingers crossed for you that things will start moving once you've seen the surgeon...

Have a good weekend
Jinks
 
Hi, I have a similar problem @ L-3. The discs have ruptured ( looks like ribbons of toothpaste squirting out of a bubble). Sick yet? Ok , check to see if there are bulges of the disc toward your stomach. This is an anterior herniation/rupture. It may not all have gone forward, some like mine also go toward the wings of the vertibra; that is where the nerve roots are. The wings are called Latisimus Dorsi. They have plates that (articulate) with the vertibra above and below. Articulate = contact as a joint. If the vertibre are cocked and out of alignment or if you broke the vertibra there may be space there. That will be noted in the radiology report and your doctor would mention it: it would indicate serious problems; broken vertibra, or a pars fracture.
On the good side, if your disc went forward, pain occured but you didn't involve your spinal cord.......yet, if calcium builRAB up it could impead your spinal cord and cause permanent nerve damage, leg motor function could be involved. See not all that bad! Chin up! See specialists till they start making sense. Good luck. I would look into artifical disc replacements! Translating your report: you have disc bulges that are not yet imparing your nerves. Good thing!
 
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