Mri confused :/ could someone help explain?

Tests and investigations
1

Hello, I am new so sorry if I post in wrong category

Basically im 28 and my mobility (sciatic pain down the buttocks and back of both legs into feet) and other issues (involving bladder) hasn't been great over the last few years and I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and hypermobily syndrome in 2013. Symptoms escalated in late 2016 but focus was thrown off as I fractured my leg early 2017.

So after waiting quite sometime I finally got an appointment to orthopaedics. The doctor I saw sent me to a&e as I was experiencing symptoms very likely of cauda equina syndrome. I had a thorough examination and it all raised alarm bells was then given mri, the a&e doctor discussed my mri results with me and said he wasnt sure if the issues found were cause for my symptoms. So I'm quite frustrated and concerned as I just want to feel somewhat normal, I'm in so much pain it's ridiculas. I don't know if anyone can read through and explain these for me, it would be so much appreciated as I'm feeling quite hopeless and depressed. I just want to be better especially for my young daughter.

Report:

Vertebral alignment is normal. Vertebral body heights are normal. Lower cord and conus is normal.

There is disc desiccation at the lumbarsacral junction with impression of annular tear and posterior disc protrusion impressing the thecal sac and bulging of the posterior longitudinal ligament. No significant thecal sac compression or canal narrowing seen. Both l5 and s1 nerve roots are not displaced

At other levels no disc prolapse seen and the spinal canal and foramina are normal.

After what the a&e doctor said i am scared if I go through surgery it might not fix the problems that are mostly effecting me, the things that are boffering me most is struggling to raise myself from chairs, bladder retention and sciatica, the other concern I have is making these issues worse.

2

Hi Samantha,

Sorry to hear that you're suffering with such a distressing set of symptoms. Being told that you may have cauda equina is a very scary thing to hear. 

Just out of interest, when you say you were diagnosed with spinal stenosis in 2013 was this on the basis of an MRI or just a face to face assessment?

Obviously I cannot confidently advise having not seen the pictures from your scan or having assessed you face to face, but what the report is saying in summary is that you have a disc bulge at the lowest level of your spine, which may or may not be pressing slightly on the structures at the back of your spine. There seems to be no evidence of a spinal cord compression or cauda equina from this report. 

The report also says all other levels in your spine look normal. 

It is worth noting that all MRI images are taken in a static position, so won't reflect what happens to this disc bulge when you move, if anything at all. 

Hope this helps,

Will

3

Thank you will, I had an mri in 2013 which involved a prolasped disc narrowing the central and contacting both s1 nerve roots but they did not seem to be compressed, I want to get the operation but my fear is I could go through the pain and distress of an operation for it not to relieve my symptoms.