Is Mild Dextrocurvature In The Lumbar Spine Associated With Cervical Lordosis?

Brief Answer:
I believe these questions are answered in my previous detailed message

Detailed Answer:
However,,,,,,, here are some shortened and very to the point answers to the questions which hopefully will make things clear and more simple to capture from a neurological/anatomical point of view. Your questions and my answer to each:

"So is it possible that the prominence of the cerebellar folio, could in fact NOT have been immediately noticeable on a CT or MRI?"

>>>>>ANSWER: It is very unlikely that PROMINENT CEREBELLAR FOLIA (not folio) would've been missed at the outside and then, later picked up as you've described. If the original scans were done any time close to when the injury occurred then, likely the size and shape of the folia would've been within the limits of normality. Over time, however, that could very well have changed and what the radiologist is now seeing is the consequence of the original injury seen evolving through time.



However as time progresses, the prominence of the cerebellar folio after a head injury becomes more pronounced and therefore noticeable?

>>>>>>>ANSWER: YES, this statement is correct.

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Brief Answer:
No MRI received on this end of the neck

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the explanations. Just to let you know also that I have not received any reports or films to look at of the neck.

I'm sorry that you are struggling with these reports. Pardon my observation but I'm curious to know how the doctors where all this was done responded to your questions as to the meaning of things? It likely would be much easier for you to get a better "picture" in your mind as to what's been resulting from all these tests if you could ask such questions from the people who both ordered and performed the exams as well as examined your daughter. I'm happy to be the "educator" in all this but my fear is that I may not be giving you the most relevant or pertinent positives of what is being reported simply because I'm not the ordering physician nor the one doing the reading of the radiographs. I hope my interpretations are helpful and in the end on spot regarding your daughter's condition and status.

If there is any doubt that she is getting the utmost attention to all the different things that are going on have you considered taking her to an academic center in Canada such as McGill University? McGill is a world renowned institution and I'm sure they have experts in TBI and its management. Also, at the academic institutions there is a sense that resident doctors tend to spend more time with patients and their families and would likely offer you more detailed explanations on what's happening than attending physicians working in programs or clinics where they are obliged to see many patients in a day under the constraints of time which severely hampers their ability to pass any decent amount of time to be able and explain things in a report or having to do with the results of either a physical or laboratory exam.

With regard to cervical lordosis....again, just to be clear. The word LORDOSIS does not denote the presence of anything PATHOLOGICAL in the individual. It is simply a medical term that refers to a curvature in the spine. We all have LORDOSES (plural) as I explained in my other message to you. In many instances radiologists may refer to the STRAIGHTENING of or the LOSS OF a particular lordosis based upon the HYPOTHESIZED presence of muscle spasm. Although in some cases this is likely true, in many other cases radiologists will make such a call simply because they are not sure whether or not the patient is HOLDING their necks in a POSITIONAL fashion to make it appear as if they've lost a cervical or neck lordosis vs. there actually being a true loss due to something such as muscle spasm or tightness in the cervical muscles, etc.

Frequent jaw movements are seen in normal people as well and can be referred to as jaw or teeth grinding. The medical term is BRUXISM. Most of the time there is nothing of clinical significance to worry about. If patients awaken with sore jaws, sore mouths, sore teeth and so on then, sometimes fabricating a bite block that the patient wears while they are asleep can relieve symptoms. However, many patients have a tough time wearing those things because they interfere with breathing. Again, in the vast majority of cases the finding of jaw movements during a sleep study means nothing clinically but it has to be reported because it is part of the descriptive nature of what's happening to the patient which requires such calls be made. Doctors reading the report tend to gloss over those comments unless it relates to something going on of importance.

The report that "increased submental" (below the chin) activity was seen on the EMG (electromyelogram electrodes placed under the chin: muscle study) in the ABSENCE of EEG (electroencephalogram: brain wave test) is simply confirming for us that she has no detectable seizures in the brain while asleep that are causing her jaw to move about. Neither of those 2 things likely have anything to do with neck the HYPOTHESIZED muscle spasms since it's the radiologist making the INDIRECT call of the issue with the cervical lordosis and not her neurologist or primary doctor describing what the physical examination is showing...make sense?

Once again I would be very grateful to you if you'd do me the favor of CLOSING THIS QUERY with both high 5 Star marks and some positive feedback if my responses have been of help to you.

This query has utilized a total of 76 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement.

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