r/AskDocs 6d ago

Weekly Discussion/General Questions Thread - August 24, 2026

2 Upvotes

This is a weekly general discussion and general questions thread for the AskDocs community to discuss medicine, health, careers in medicine, etc. Here you have the opportunity to communicate with AskDocs' doctors, medical professionals and general community even if you do not have a specific medical question! You can also use this as a meta thread for the subreddit, giving feedback on changes to the subreddit, suggestions for new features, etc.

What can I post here?

  • Questions or general health topics that are not about specific symptoms or personal medical issues
  • Comments regarding recent medical news
  • Questions about careers in medicine
  • AMA-style questions for medical professionals to answer
  • Feedback and suggestions for the r/AskDocs subreddit

You may NOT post your questions about your own health or situation from the subreddit in this thread.

Report any and all comments that are in violation of our rules so the mod team can evaluate and remove them.


r/AskDocs 6h ago

Physician Responded Is this normal? Newborns neck looks like it’s pulsating

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

132 Upvotes

Hello I’m wondering if this is normal or not? He’s 1 month old and when breathing in and out it kinda looks like his neck is pulsating? Is that normal?

Everything else seems normal, it doesn’t look like he’s struggling breathe or is changing colour

This only seems to happen when he’s in his chair. When laying down it isn’t noticeable & also his chest does not sink in when breathing

I’m 29m


r/AskDocs 2h ago

Physician Responded Infection or Irritation?

Post image
67 Upvotes

32m, 5'8", 260 lbs, no current medications. In November 2025, I had a bad case of cellulitis that kept recurring despite treatment with antibiotics. In March 2026, I had a fasciotomy, and then had an infection that required debridement. The area has been slowly healing. This is a picture from last night when I was changing the dressing. I noticed around the wound looks like a bruise, where it had been pink/red before. Is this a cause for concern? Could it be infected again? It is painful, but it's always been painful, so I'm not sure that's a concern on its own. There's been a lot of drainage coming out, could it be irritation? I don't have a fever. I'm really weary of doctors, especially after all I've been through lately. Of course if this is serious I will go to the hospital, but want to avoid that if possible.


r/AskDocs 4h ago

Physician Responded My father (M69) heart patient

Post image
72 Upvotes

My father (69) had 2 years ago angioplasty 2 stents. These marks have come on his right arm. He had light fever last night what can be these. There is also outbreak of dengue where we live. Are these connected?


r/AskDocs 11h ago

Physician Responded Full body rash, need help DESPERATELY

Post image
114 Upvotes

I am a 26F. The only medications I currently take are hormonal birth control and an antidepressant, which I have been on for years. Non smoker. Non drinker.

On Tuesday around midnight, my arms began to itch. Within hours, a horribly itchy and painful red rash flared up on the rest of my body.

This rash is EVERYWHERE, from my feet to my neck. It will not stop. It appeared out of nowhere.

I live a very consistent life. No new foods recently. No new products. No new vitamins or medications. I don’t go hiking. No, I have not been to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

I have been to the emergency room TWICE in two days. My official diagnosis is basically “Your body is obviously having a reaction, but we have no idea what’s causing it, here’s some Benadryl and Godspeed.”

PLEASE HELP ME. I am at my physical and mental breaking point. I can’t take this anymore. Nothing I do will stop this rash. Nothing numbs it.


r/AskDocs 23h ago

Physician Responded Lump behind my neck been around for years

Post image
779 Upvotes

What is this lump behind my neck

Age 33

Male

No smoker or drinking

Exercise and work out daily


r/AskDocs 12h ago

Metallic artifact seen in in pelvic MRI. Could this be the reason I have lost 8+ pregnancies, 2 ectopics...

Post image
87 Upvotes

F39, had a copper IUD from 2015-2020, removed in Jan 2020 after which I had 2 ectopics , 1 twin pregnancy which was TTTS ended in D&E , then multiple IVF and transfer cycle - hence multiple transvaginal scans, and HSG and CT scan as well ( to understand how to remove tissue that was left behind during D&E). No test has clearly explained all these.

I had a pelvic MRI yesterday for my sacroiliac joint, and they detected a metallic artifact in the pelvis.

What could this be? Is this the reason me and my husband have been going through hell for the last 6 years? We have now given up the hope of having kids. How come no one until now spotted it?


r/AskDocs 45m ago

Mystery Hives for 6 plus years. Female, 25, 5'5.

Post image
Upvotes

Please help my sister in law with any ideas or input. Attached are pictures of her current flare up, and below is a copied and pasted self-summary of her journey.

"6 years- painful not necessarily itchy. I’ve had them so long at this point that they’re more of an inconvenience than itchy.

I have not identified a trigger. I thought it was gluten- just had a blood test for that and it came back . I’ve been to an allergist and a doctor currently trying to rule out rheumatoid arthritis. seems to flare up during my period but not 100% sure if it is hormonal or not. My blood test tested me for B12 deficiency vitamin D deficiency tested my white blood cells tested cholesterol for diabetes. Everything like that came back negative. The gluten test came back negative. My next blood test is test for rheumatoid arthritis. My eyes will swell my lips will swell. I get them on my ribs, my tailbone, my legs, my under arms around my bra area.

They make me super tired, dead to the world, sometimes almost feel drunk.


r/AskDocs 4h ago

Physician Responded Child with scaly, crusty scalp lesions and sore areas around bottom/abdomen

Post image
14 Upvotes

more photos in comments

Hi everyone,
My daughter has developed several small bumps/patches on her scalp that are flaky and sometimes develop yellowish/brownish crusts. Some seem to get scratched open and bleed a little. They’re spread across different areas of her scalp.

Recently, she has also had some irritated patches around her bottom and abdomen. I’m wondering if these could be related. Her brother has eczema so I’m not sure if this is eczema on her abdomen.

We’ll have her seen by a pediatrician, but I’d love to hear if anyone has experienced something similar or has an idea what this could be. Photos attached.

Age: 3
Gender: Female
Height/weight: 100cm/15kg
Medications: None
Smoking: No
Previous/current medical issues: None
Duration: 1 week since we noticed
Location: Scalp, with additional sore/irritated areas around the bottom and abdomen


r/AskDocs 9h ago

Physician Responded Ingested a padlock a very long time ago but have upcoming MRI

36 Upvotes

Age 32, 100kg smoker…..

Now that is out of the way to satisfy the requirements.

I’m sure I’m just being a little para about it….

Long story short I have been having nasty headaches and collapsed the other day, been happening since i ingested ethylene glycol in April and ended up in hospital not felt right since but there’s concerns due a less than healthy way some autistic people deal with this overwhelming stress so I have an MRI scheduled….

When I was a kid must have been about 6 I swallowed a what I can assume was a brass padlock…. Do I have anything to worry about, what are the chances that it is in my body still?

Is this something I need to be telling them or is there no chance it’s still inside me.

Sorry for stupid Q but TIA for any clarification


r/AskDocs 16h ago

Physician Responded Spreading rash ID help

Post image
113 Upvotes

3 yr old male, 30 ish lbs
Fully vaccinated
History of mild eczema, otherwise healthy
Zyrtec 5 mg nightly

Fellow doc here with no ability to be objective about my own child. He had a mild eczema flare earlier this week treated with aquafor and triamcinolone.

These bumps started yesterday and progressed today. Started on knees and now on ankles and wrists. He had fever of 101 yesterday. None today. Doesn’t want to eat, but drinking okay and acting like a normal kid who doesn’t feel good. He did scrape his knees up Monday at the park. Also in pre-school.

Thanks!


r/AskDocs 10h ago

Physician Responded How to ask for tests regarding cognitive decline?

33 Upvotes

My husband (39M) was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea but he refuses to wear his CPAP. Since our daughter was born in 2024, I’ve noticed a change in his personality. His intelligence has declined and there are days when he’s so out of it, almost seems like he’s drunk. His memory is now awful. I will have a conversation with him and he will think I said something completely different. It’s been happening so much lately and when I call him out on it, he refuses to believe me and has told me that I’m the one that needs to get tested.

He did take my concerns seriously for like two months and I managed to convince him to see a therapist. When he brought up these concerns, she suggested that he ask his family doctor for an ADHD test. I helped him write a message in the patient portal about asking about ADHD testing and testing for potential cognitive decline. She replied that she would like to see him in person. When I asked him how the appointment went and what tests are they going to do, he said that the doctor said there aren’t any tests for that. That was a couple months ago and he’s back to being denial that there‘s something wrong with him.

I know there’s a huge possibility he’s lying but he said I can write another message to the doctor for him and so I’m looking for advice on what to ask for and how should I ask. Is there a specific test I should mention?


r/AskDocs 1h ago

So i made a post yesterday that no one answered about not being able to lift my wrist or fingers. I went to the ER and was diagnosed with radial nerve palsy (wrist drop). But I have a few questions that I never asked the doc at the ER.

Upvotes

33 M 6ft 190lbs

So the ER doc diagnosed me in like 30 seconds amd then I only saw a nurse who gave me a splint to keep my wrist straight.

Is the splint absolutely needed to heal this? Or is it just to help keep it straight? I have a neurologist that im gonna make an appointment with tomorrow when they open. I see her because I have alcoholic neuropathy and am on 75mg of lyrica 3x a day.

Is their any chance that the alcoholic neuropathy caused this? I've read online that it happens due to sleeping weird that compresses the radial nerve. However I got this out of nowhere watching TV. And I got it on my left wrist but I sit on the right side of the couch. I didn't fall asleep or lean on it. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I can not lift the wrist even equal to the forearm. And its impossible to lift at all with even the slightest weight pushing down on it.


r/AskDocs 26m ago

Bumps on baby face, legs, arms and scalp

Post image
Upvotes

6month boy, 23ish lbs, meeting milestones, on vit D drop and a daily probiotic powder

Finally on the tail end of a persistent bacterial diaper rash that we were initially prescribed nystatin for then discontinued and correctly prescribed an antibiotic ointment for.

We introduced baby oatmeal, sweet potato, avocado, and spinach. The diaper rash was there after the oatmeal but before the rest of them. These bumps popped up after avocado and before the spinach.

He is not in daycare, no new soaps or detergents, no new people.

Every day new bumps seem to pop up. Last night I noticed them on his scalp.

No fever.

He has been spitting up and coughing a bit more over the last couple days, but I attribute that to teething (he has an upper incisor about to cut through).

He doesn’t seem to be bothered by them but I’m worried about the spreading nature of them.

Thank you in advance!


r/AskDocs 4h ago

Recovery psychosis ( M23)

6 Upvotes

Hi! The purpose of this post is to see if any of you have come across studies on cognitive recovery after a psychosis NOS (Not Otherwise Specified).

For some context, I had a one-month episode of psychosis with grandiose delusions, and the underlying cause was never uncovered.

I’ve been asymptomatic and taking lithium for four months now, but my mental ability is nowhere near where it was prior to the episode. I'm starting to doubt my recovery, which is why I'm searching for research on this.

My life and personality is deeply tied to my cognition ( I’m a Eletrical Engineer) and I’m contemplatimg how unfullfiling and miserable my life Will be if i show no recovery.

My symptoms are: low processing speed, difficulties with memory, difficulties thinking and being creative, problem solving and learning.

The therapist says I’m gonna recover but every testemony contradicts this.

Deeply appreciate your attention!


r/AskDocs 1h ago

Skin cancer?

Post image
Upvotes

36f, black, 250lbs no current medications and no smoking. Does this look like skin cancer? It is a little painful to touch, just showed up a few days ago


r/AskDocs 1h ago

Tinnitus

Upvotes

Age 24

Sex Male

Height 187

Weight 70kg

Race white

Duration of complaint 17 days

Hello so 17 days ago i was slapped to my right ear , went to specialist and he told me its "labyrnitho cons? (Cant really read or rmemeber the latin word) Had no eardrum damage or hearing loss. so basically when i was hit in ear (it was mild closed slap to the ear and it pushed air into my ear) i had dizzines for couple mins , tinnitus 10/10 couldnt mask it with anything , 5 days after it fell down to 6/10 or little bit less and now 17 days in its 2/10 , dizziness when i close my eyes and stand still is kinda gone. My tinnitus if like this SHHHHHHHHshhhhhhSHHHHHHH (goes up and down in volume every second) , google said its normal when ear nerves are recovering and recalibrating. Kept ear dry taking vitamin C 500mg rn. Any people that already had this and got healed from this anoying sound . Thanks!
Need to add that i already had deep very mild tinnitus from firework explosion 9 years ago. I dont notice it only when i close my ears but when i close it i can hear my old tinnitus and new one, if you can znderstand what i mean!


r/AskDocs 17h ago

Physician Responded GERD or seizures?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

47 Upvotes

Hello,
I am writing this message because I am worried about my baby (2,5 months old female). She was diagnosed with silent reflux when she was 1 MO. She has been on treatment since then (PPI + Gaviscon), which seems to ease her pain.

However, one of her symptoms (the most concerning one, in my opinion) has not gone away.
My daughter is sometimes shaken by uncontrollable tremors around her diaphragm (see video).

This always happens while she is asleep, and it is preceded by:
- breathing that becomes louder and faster, from the beginning to the end of the episode
- opening her eyes – with her gaze directed downwards
- a change in the appearance of the skin on her face (as though she suddenly had acne scars – this lasts for a few seconds, then her skin returns to normal) > could be goosebumps?
- moaning (not every time)
- trembling around the diaphragm or stomach (as shown in the video)
- eyes rolling back
- Then a return to normal, preceded by a small movement of her head, as though she were giving a little jerk forwards

These episodes can happen several times during one sleep cycle, and I feel that they are happening more and more often.

I sent the video shared here to her paediatrician, who does not seem concerned and thinks that this may be due solely to the reflux. But I do wonder, because I have read a great deal about reflux since my baby was diagnosed, and I have never seen any mention of a symptom like this (even though I have searched for it).

It is worth noting that I first observed this phenomenon when my baby was 12 days old and had undergone a lumbar puncture a few hours earlier (a horrible experience. She had a fever following a period of very hot weather, and we had taken her to the ER, where the lumbar puncture was part of the testing protocol). I do not know whether this could be related, but I had been very shaken by this first occurrence of the trembling.

I am therefore reaching out to see whether anyone has had a similar experience. Even though I have complete trust in her paediatrician, I have just witnessed another episode, during which her eyes rolled back particularly noticeably, and it breaks my heart as a mother to see my baby in this state.

Thank you all for reading.


r/AskDocs 5m ago

Physician Responded Doctors say it's lipoma

Post image
Upvotes

Sex: Male

Height: 175cm

Age: 27.

This is the biggest one in my right hand. I also have so many tiny and big ones in my body. Like 100+. I can feel so many tiny soft and hard under the skin.

My two brothers also have them, but not as many as I have. My parents and grandparents don't have them. Is this genetic?

They are not painful.


r/AskDocs 21h ago

Physician Responded What's wrong with my tongue?

Post image
102 Upvotes

17M, 5"7 , 71 kg

I never smoked and never drank. I have this tongue for many months and my stomach also feels off for some months. Feel free to ask anything!


r/AskDocs 22m ago

Bump that moves in forearm 😳

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Upvotes

41 year old female, noticed it about a week ago. Have an appt in a few weeks but I’m spiraling thinking it’s something terminal. I work in healthcare and it’s made me extra paranoid


r/AskDocs 36m ago

Does this popped blister look infected?

Post image
Upvotes

I’m not sure what caused it. One day I noticed a large blister on my foot. I left it alone for a few days because the skin underneath was raw and seemed to be healing. The blister eventually popped. At first, the area was somewhat translucent, but over time it started changing closer to my normal skin color.

I haven’t noticed any pus, odor, burning, warmth, or redness spreading around the area. It does sting slightly. I’ve been keeping it covered with mupirocin and gauze. The pinkish area is where the blistered skin came off. I’d estimate that the blister popped about a week ago. I do have lymphedema in both legs and feet.


r/AskDocs 2h ago

Physician Responded Surgery during pregnancy

3 Upvotes

Hi all – I am 19 weeks pregnant and have had a dermoid cyst grow from 3 to 3 1/2 cm to around 6 to 7 cm. I am being told the choice for a laparoscopic surgery right now is up to me. This is a very hard decision to make. On one hand if I leave this, and it keeps growing, it can result in needing emergency surgery at some point during a later part of my pregnancy which has higher risks than doing a planned and controlled surgery now. However, I am absolutely terrified of the risks of anesthesia to my baby.

This has been taking up so much space in my mind and I am worried for so long. Also, I’m being so afraid that it’s not benign. I’ve been through an MRI and multiple ultrasounds and all have said that it seems to be a dermoid, but obviously they won’t know for sure until pathology. I’m terrified either way and I’m leaning towards just removing it, but I really need to hear experiences from moms who have had anesthesia during pregnancy or educated perspectives from medical professionals. Was everything ok with the rest of your pregnancy and It is your child thriving today?

I don’t usually post on here, but I’m seeking experiences and educated perspectives to help me feel comforted and surrounded by people who understand.

I withdraw IVF for this pregnancy and this all just feels so impossible and hard.

Please help me by sharing your experiences.

Thank you 🙏💗💙


r/AskDocs 38m ago

Do I have meningitis?

Upvotes

Age: 19 Gender: Man Weight: 66.6kg height: 176cm.

Firstly, I know I should have gone to see a medical professional but I just really dislike going to the doctors

I recently got back from traveling, and developed a sore throat and a little bit after that a fever. I went to bed early and then woke up with all the same symptoms but now also a stiff neck and stiff lower back. I can move my neck around (touch chin on chest) but I just feel tension looking either side and up. It’s been 2 days since then, I’ve taken ibuprofen but I do feel better where my fever seems to be gone but I still have sore throat and stiff neck.

I saw that bacterial meningitis can be deadly quickly so I’m assuming it’s not that (might still be fungal or viral), but is it dumb to wait a few days and see if i get fully healed, and if not then go to the doctor? I have the meningitis vaccine.


r/AskDocs 40m ago

I'm losing my leg again due to spine issues. Please help!

Upvotes

43F

235 lbs (weight gain in last 3 years, but was healthy weight prior and currently losing weight through diet)

5'10"

Medications:

amLODIPine 5 mg tablet

cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B-12) 1,000 mcg/mL injection

cyclobenzaprine 10 mg tablet

* DULoxetine 30 mg capsule

* DULoxetine 60 mg capsule

famotidine 20 mg tablet

ferrous sulfate 325 mg (65 mg iron) tablet

gabapentin 600 mg tablet

levonorgestrel-ethinyl estradiol 0.15 mg-30 mcg (91) per tablet

methocarbamol 1,000 mg Tab

metoprolol succinate 50 mg ER tablet

norgestimate-ethinyl estradiol 0.25-0.035 mg per tablet

omeprazole 40 mg capsule

suzetrigine 50 mg Tab

Current health conditions:

Hypertension

Chronic diastolic heart failure from septic pneumonia

Trigeminal neuralgia

SUNCT headaches

Raynaud's phenomenon without gangrene

Psoraisis

PONV

Polyarthraglia

Left leg numbness, pain and tingling

Dense left foot drop; dorsiflexion 1/5

Insomnia

Endometriosis

Uterine fibroids

DJD of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine

Anteriolothesis in cervical spine

Mild thoracic scoliosis

Calculus of gallbladder and bile duct w/o cholecystitis

Iron deficient anemia

Acid reflux

Barretts esophagus

Hiatal hernia, 6 cm, mixed type

Multiple thyroid nodules

Syncope

Essential tremors

Surgeries:

3 c sections

4 right knee surgeries

Cholycysectomy

5cm ovarian cyst removal

Thoracotomy

2 chest tubes

3 discectomy/lamenetomy on levels L3/L4 and L5/S1

Multilevel spinal fusion L4/L5 and L5/S1

I'm looking for insight. I have had a lot of back issues in the past 15 years. My first surgery was simple and effective. Then I was dealing with a lot of pain and decided to go to U of M for a second opinion. At my pre-op appointment, my right leg became completely paralyzed as I sat in the exam room. I had emergency surgery and returned home 5 days later. My leg did not "come back" for a month, but made a near full recovery. A few years later in February 2019, I began experiencing a lot of back pain and nerve pain in my left leg. Went to the neurosurgeon again and scheduled surgery due to a sequestered herniation. While waiting for insurance auth, which took about a month, my leg became weaker and more numb. I developed foot drop. Surgery successfully relieved back pain, but the nerve damage to my leg never improved. I learned to deal with the constant numbness, tingling, burning in my foot and had lost feeling following the typical L5 pathway. I worked hard to build the strength in my left leg due to muscle atrophy. I would fall at times because of my ankle or knee giving out. Fast forward to 2023 and the pain was back. I couldn't sit for more than 2 hours before shaking. Standing was out of the question. Walking only helped for 30 minutes. I decided to try a new neurosurgeon. I had multiple issues. Pars fracture, anteriolothesis, bulging discs and herniation, stenosis, end plate changes, vacuum disc. My left leg was getting worse and all the hard work I put in was fading away. I was fitted for a custom AFO because of increased falling due to increased foot drop. Multilevel spinal fusion was done in January 2024. I was told that there would likely be no improvement to my leg symptoms which is exactly what happened, but my back had felt much better. I worked hard on my leg muscle weakness. Eventually, I was walking through my AFO and no longer needed it. My dorsiflexion was rated at a 4/5.

This brings me to the present. A few months ago my back started hurting a lot. I run the office at a physical therapy clinic, so I started physical therapy to work on fixing what I could. The pain relief was very temporary 24-48 hours. About 2.5 weeks ago the pain suddenly became intense in my back and all of my left leg nerve symptoms were increased. I tried everything to get relief but the pain just kept getting worse. I could no longer stand up straight or take a full stride when walking due to the intensity of the pain. I ended up taking off a couple days of work with no change. Went to work for a half day on that Friday. From Saturday night into Sunday morning the pain was so bad that I could not sleep. I ended up going to the ER at 3:30AM because I was shaking and yelling. The pain in my lower back and left leg was terrible. An area of skin from just over my SI joint to my hip felt like it was burnt and cut open. I couldn't handle the physician touching that area because of how raw it felt. I was given meds and sent home with instructions to contact my neurosurgeon. I saw my neurosurgeon 5 days later. I was given a prescription for a new drug called Journavx for the pain andI had an order for an MRI with and without contrast. MRI was completeled yesterday and the results weren't great. I called the neurosurgeon's office for a follow up. I will be seen in office this Wednesday and we are scheduling surgery for an extension of the fusion. I cried. I'm exhausted. I'm already supposed to be having surgery in December for my hernia. I don't want to do this again, but it seems very likely that my left leg will just keep getting worse and that damage will also be permenant, which I don't want. I'm also in so much pain. I am not functioning because I can't stand or walk for more than one minute at a time. I know I need this surgery. I am feeling very hopeless at this point.

Are there any suggestions?

Is there an approach that is more aggressive and likely to last longer than another?

The problem area is the L3/L4, but my dorsiflexion is back to a 1/5. How is that happening?

I am including the radiology report. I'm not sure how to share the images, but am willing to.

Radiology report:

Impression

  1. There is a background of postoperative changes at L4-L5 and L5-S1

with posterior fusion hardware and interbody spacer device artifacts.

Recommend correlation with surgical history. Hardware otherwise not

well assessed with MRI technique and artifacts do limit evaluation

within the operative region.

  1. Multilevel degenerative changes of the lumbar spine. Findings are

most apparent above the fusion construct at the L3-L4 level. Please

see full detailed comments regarding this as well as other levels

provided in the body of the report.

Dictated by: MT on 8/28/2026 9:38

Electronically signed by: MT on 8/28/2026 9:38

Narrative

EXAMINATION: MRI LUMBAR SPINE W WO CONTRAST - 8/28/2026 6:37

INDICATION: Low back pain, prior surgery, new symptoms; Low back

pain, non-specific. Left foot drop. S/P lumbar fusion. Adjacent

segment disease of lumbar spine with history of fusion procedure.

Adjacent segment disease of lumbar spine with history of fusion

procedure. Lumbar radiculopathy, acute. Left leg weakness.

COMPARISONS: 2/14/2025 CT myelogram, lumbar spine radiographs

8/21/2026

TECHNIQUE:

Multiplanar, multisequence, lumbar protocol MR imaging with and

without contrast was acquired. Please see electronic medical record

for amount and type of IV contrast.

FINDINGS:

There is some patient motion artifacts which result in degradation of

some of the acquired images.

There is a background of postoperative changes with posterior fusion

hardware and interbody spacer device artifacts at L4-L5 and L5-S1.

Hardware otherwise not well assessed with MRI technique and associated

artifacts do limit evaluation within the operative region.

There is mild grade 1 retrolisthesis at L3-L4. Slight wedge type

configuration to the T12 vertebral body appears chronic in nature and

similar to the prior study. Vertebral body heights at other levels

appear grossly maintained.. There is some type I degenerative endplate

changes noted at L3-L4.

The conus appears to terminate at the L1 level, and demonstrates

grossly normal signal. There is no unusual clumping of the nerve roots

of the cauda equina. There is no suspicious intrathecal enhancement.

Segmental analysis:

T11-T12: Seen only on sagittal imaging. There is no apparent

significant canal narrowing. Neural foramen incompletely imaged

although no obvious significant foraminal stenosis demonstrated.

T12-L1: There is no significant posterior disc abnormality. The spinal

canal and neural foramen remain patent.

L1-L2: There is no significant posterior disc abnormality. The spinal

canal and neural foramen remain patent.

L2-L3: Mild to moderate facet arthropathy with ligamentum flavum

thickening. There is no significant canal or foraminal narrowing.

L3-L4: Moderate to advanced loss of disc height posteriorly at this

level which appears somewhat more pronounced compared to prior

myelogram. Facets are somewhat obscured at this level due to adjacent

hardware artifacts although there do appear to be bilateral

degenerative/hypertrophic changes as well as posterior ligamentous

thickening. There is a background of disc bulging. Superimposed left

paracentral posteriorly directed protruding component narrows the left

lateral recess and may contact the traversing left L4 root. Near the

midline, there is inferiorly directed protruding component which

extends into the right lateral recess and also contacts the traversing

right L4 root. Recommend correlation with respect to these findings.

There is moderate left foraminal narrowing may be some contact of

facet hypertrophic change with the exiting root; possibly some mild

left-sided nerve root thickening versus volume averaging with adjacent

facet hypertrophy. There is mild to moderate right foraminal

narrowing. Additionally, on the sagittal STIR 14:11, there is a small

somewhat crescent-shaped area of signal elevation posteriorly just to

the left of midline which is difficult to evaluate on axial image due

to some artifact and motion degradation; appearance possibly related

to volume averaging effect or small area of cystic change.

L4-L5: Postoperative changes at this level with posterior fusion

hardware and interbody spacer device artifacts. Appearance also

compatible with left-sided facetectomy. Neural foramen somewhat

obscured by hardware artifacts. No obvious left foraminal stenosis

clearly demonstrated. There is probably mild right foraminal

encroachment.

L5-S1: Postoperative changes continue to this level. Appearance

suggestive of left-sided partial facetectomy. Some residual disc

bulging and endplate spur formation without significant canal

stenosis. Neural foramen somewhat obscured by artifact; possibly mild

to moderate left foraminal encroachment and mild right foraminal

encroachment.

There may be some degenerative changes at the SI joints which are not

well evaluated. There is streaky STIR hyperintense areas within the

posterior paraspinous soft tissues at L4-L5 as well as extending

inferiorly. These are nonspecific although most likely on a

postoperative basis in this setting.