Advice please

[mully]

Hi I recently had an emergency MRI for a slipped disc during which they noted I had a new lesion at L11 when compared to my last MRI 12 months earlier When I returned home I had a look at my earlier MRI and it said lesion L10 and L11 So I'm confused can you have 2 lesions at L11

[lbenmaor]

I would ask your Dr.

Leslie

[BettysMom]

I'd suggest that you wait for the final report by the radiologist on this recent MRI. He/she will compare it to the last one and report any differences.

[hairbrain4]

That is definitely an ask your Dr question.

[stepsforNeeC]

If you are seen by a Neurologist; have him/her look at the last couple of MRI’s. They should be able to explain what was seen even if inconclusiveness requires another look. Pray you get the answers you need.🙏

[Frances_B]

As the others have recommended - discuss it with your neuro.

How was the existence of this "new" lesion communicated to you - were you told verbally that the lesion was there, or was it in a written report? I ask, because it's actually not possible to have lesions at L10 and L11 because there are only 5 lumbar vertebrae - however there are 12 thoracic vertebrae - so something has been "lost in translation" somewhere Also, the spinal cord ends at around L1 or L2 in most people.

I've also had this sort of "confusion" happen over the course of the many MRIs I've had over many years since being diagnosed. Interpreting/ reading MRIs is not always an exact science, especially with spinal scans because there can be problems with what are called "artefacts" - these are "disturbances" in the images and they are more common with spinal scans because your breathing will move your spine ever so slightly no matter how still you are.

The language radiologists use also sometimes seems to be a bit mixed up - one might refer to a lesion at (say) T5 and T6 because it is between or spans those two vertebrae, another might just use the location of one vertebrae for the same lesion - and you don't really have any way of reading the mind of the radiologist to find out which wording they would use or have used to find out if they are actually referring to the same lesion or different lesions.

Diagram of spinal column with vertebrae numbered

[mully in reply to Frances_B]

Ah, Thank you for your reply I've gone back and had a look at the original MRI Multiple focal abnormalities are seen throughout the cord affecting C2/3 level C5 T6 T10/11 and T12 Conclusion multiple lesions within the cord in correlation with optic nerve enhancement

Emergency MRI Discharge report (most recent) L5/s1 disc bulging impinges upon the left L5 nerve New spinal cord lesion at T11 when compared with the previous MRI scans

So it appeared I miss read T11 as L11 like you said (L11 doesn't exist) I'm just terrified about the thought of a new lesion so hope its just the original one I don't have a copy of the new MRI just the ER report They have sent it to my neurologist and I have an appointment next week just an anxious wait for answers Thank you all for your replies

[Frances_B in reply to mully]

It's easily done - and not such a huge problem when it's the patient misreading it but definitely a significant and potentially dangerous one when it's the radiologist writing the report that gets it all wrong. I've got a report on one of my MRIs from several years ago where the reporting radiologist has completely screwed up the content and refers to "...lesions in the thoracic cord at levels of C4 and C6-7...". Duuuhhhh - and no-one (not even my then neurologist) spotted the mistakes until I did and queried the errors - and even then the hospital was too slack to issue an amended report with an erratum added .