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MRI Showed Central Disc Protrusion, Recommended Bone Scan, Have Lower Lumbar Pain. Worried About Bone Cancer
Question: Hello, My symptoms were lower lumbar pain/Sacral pain for the past 4-5 years.
I have been on this site and wrote to a General doctor but I am so upset about having to get this bone scan tomorrow I wanted to submit another query to you since you are a Radiologist.
I had a MRI of Lumbar and it came back saying more or less Small central disc protrusion at L5-S1
andL4-L5 Dorsolateral disc bulging and facet hypertrophhy causing mild left neuroforaminal and bilateral subarticular spinal stenoses.
I also have a MRI of my pelvic/sacral area and the Radiologist recommended me getting a bone scan due to his Impression: on the report was Small nodular areas of diminished bone density in the sacral wings bilaterally. These are uncertain significance, but in order to evaluate the possibility of metastatic disease, a bone scan should be considered.
I am so scared this is a bad cancer I have not known about. Have you ever seen these symptoms and it turns out to be something else on the Bone Scan. I am sorry, I am just so upset right now. I get the scan tomorrow. Thank you.. XXXXXXX
I have been on this site and wrote to a General doctor but I am so upset about having to get this bone scan tomorrow I wanted to submit another query to you since you are a Radiologist.
I had a MRI of Lumbar and it came back saying more or less Small central disc protrusion at L5-S1
andL4-L5 Dorsolateral disc bulging and facet hypertrophhy causing mild left neuroforaminal and bilateral subarticular spinal stenoses.
I also have a MRI of my pelvic/sacral area and the Radiologist recommended me getting a bone scan due to his Impression: on the report was Small nodular areas of diminished bone density in the sacral wings bilaterally. These are uncertain significance, but in order to evaluate the possibility of metastatic disease, a bone scan should be considered.
I am so scared this is a bad cancer I have not known about. Have you ever seen these symptoms and it turns out to be something else on the Bone Scan. I am sorry, I am just so upset right now. I get the scan tomorrow. Thank you.. XXXXXXX
Hello XXXXXXX,
Thanks for the query.
Don't be so upset. The possible small nodular area of diminished bone density on MRI are more likely to be bony islands or something like osteitis condenses illi (these are harmless findings) and less likely to be due to cancer.
Metastases will usually appear brighter on T2W and darker on T1W sequences in MRI and your radiologist would have mentioned if it was seen that way. If there were no such findings noted, probably this would more likely turn out to be a benign finding. So it is better if u don't get stressed about it so much.
Hope this answers your query. Let me know if you have further enquiries.
Good luck with your bone scan
Take care
Thanks for the query.
Don't be so upset. The possible small nodular area of diminished bone density on MRI are more likely to be bony islands or something like osteitis condenses illi (these are harmless findings) and less likely to be due to cancer.
Metastases will usually appear brighter on T2W and darker on T1W sequences in MRI and your radiologist would have mentioned if it was seen that way. If there were no such findings noted, probably this would more likely turn out to be a benign finding. So it is better if u don't get stressed about it so much.
Hope this answers your query. Let me know if you have further enquiries.
Good luck with your bone scan
Take care
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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