Difference between bulges and protrusions in Discs?

[Mayzoo]

Hey, I am the dumb new kid on the block. I got my MRI report back, and it mentions disc bulges, an annular tear and protrusions---what is the difference, and which is worse pain wise?

I am off to do more net research.....

Thanks,

Mayzoo

[Mayzoo]

Oh, and the trip was unavoidably delayed until June 28th. Maybe good, maybe not. I see my doc tomorrow for a follow up since I will be in town now.

[shotspine]

Hi Mayzoo....

Since everyone is different and so much depends on a myriad of things, imho, your question is impossible to answer so I will guide you to good places to check out.

www.chirogeek.com (http://www.chirogeek.com) is a great site and written so we can understand. He posts over on the Spinal Disorders forum. Also check out the "useful websites" at the top of the forum on Chronic Pain and Spinal Disorders. I recommend starting with chirogeek because it's very comprehensive and easy to understand.

You haven't said whether your problems are at neck or lumbar.......not that it matters as far as pain goes, but it helps us to help you when we can. You might want to post your MRI results both here and Spinal Disorders and ask for input.

I'm so sorry you are having these problems. Judging from your post, you may be hanging out with us for awhile. So, Welcome!!!! You've found a great place to hang out, get info and support.

((((((((Hugs)))))))))

ss

[Mayzoo]

Laymen MRI findings--

Cervical

C3-4 thru C4-5 minimal central disc bulges

C5-6 mild diffuse disc bulge, osteophyte, mild stenosis, and degenerative

C6-7 small central disc protrusion & posterior annular tear w/stenosis

Mild degenerative disc disease of cervical spine most pronounced at c5-6


Lumbar

L2-3 thru L5-S1 annular disc bulges w/o significant stenosis

Minimal levoscoliosis possibly positional

Mayzoo

[Mark N]

The best that I have been able to tell is they are the same and only the person writing up the report knows why they use different terms. There may be a technical difference in the two but for practical purposes you can read them as the same thing.

[shotspine]

I'm sure not qualified to give you any input but others may come by. Please post after your Dr. appt and let us know what he has to say.
Do you have any nerve/burning pain or radiating pain to other areas? Questions he will ask......burning, stinging, aching, stabbing, electrical shock, hmmm brain fog here.....can't remember the rest of them. He will probably have you fill in a little person with where and what pain you are having. Warning....the little person on the page is much too small for many of us. I have to draw arrows all over the page;) I hope he's a good Dr. and answers all your questions so you can get going on your next step to recovery.

ss

[seevers32]

I recently had an MRI done and here were the results. I am hoping that someone can help me out with what this means for me and what my options may be.
Axial images were obtained through the cervical spine. Coronal and sagittal reconstructions were performed. Findings: There is an ununited odontoid fracture; this appears to be an old type 2 odontoid fracture. Posterior fusion of the spinous processes from C1 through C3 is seen; this appears well healed. There is mild narrowing of the right C3-C4 neural foramen. The other neural foramina are patent.

TECHNIQUE; A multiecho, multisequence study was performed using standard pulse sequences for this study protocol. Intravenous was used.

FINDINGS There is a small left paracentral disc protrusion T6-T7.
A right paracentral disc protrusion is seen at T7-T8.
At T8-T9 there is a moderately sized central disc protrusion. This deforms the thecal sac and slightly deforms the spinal cord. The spinal cord remains normal signal intensity.
At T9-T10 there is a small central disc protrusion. The other levals appear normal.
Following contrast administration, mild prominence of the epidural veins is seen at T6-T7, T8-T9 and T9-T10. Again noted is mild cord deformity at
T8-T9. Normal enhancement of the cord is noted.

If anyone knows what this means please tell me. I did have a broken neck 18 years ago which I had neck surgery in 1990. Since this time I have suffered from headaches and back pain. Both of which are becoming unbearable. I am 37 years of age.

[Mark N]

The MRI notes the fracture and states it seems to be well healed with mild narrowing of the nerve root from C3-4. I am a fellow thoracic spinie and you definitely have some thoracic problems. Your T8-9 is the worst level and is the level I had fused. The other thoracic levels are small protrusions that may be causing big problems. There are many symptoms that typically go with thoracic issues like tightness around the abdomen, wrap-around pains, abdominal problems, pains through your rib cage, along with many other symptoms. Your symptoms are a better indicator of how severe your problem is.

Typically a surgeon won't touch the thoracic spine unless you are having neurological impairments. The most common approach is an open thoractomy that removes a rib, opens your chest cavity, collapses a lung and the surgeon will move your heart aside to get to your thoracic spine at that level. It leaves you with a 14" scar along with a chest tube scar and minus one rib. If you will post on your own situation there are several members here with thoracic problems and fusions that can help you. Please ask for any info you want as I will be happy to answer the best that I can.

[gracie05]

Try thinking of a disc as being like a radial tire. A bulge is like a bubble in the wall of the tire where the rubber is real thin. A protrusion is where the stuff inside is actually leaking (protruding out) of the disc, like a blowout. Obviously, since a tire is filled with air a protrusion will cause it to completely leak out and go flat. A disc is filled with viscous fluid that will flow out like cake icing. Some of the fluid will leak through a bulge (slow leak) where a protrusion will actively have fluid squeezing out. Unfortunately, that fluid is very irritating to nerve roots and causes considerable pain however it leaks out! Both can put physical pressure on nerve roots. A bulge may shrink and go down but will always be a weak spot. A protrusion will just continue to leak stuff out until it is gone. At least that's my understanding of the difference.
gracie

[cjosea101]

I just had a new MRI done on my lubar spine. If I am posting in the wrong place let me know as I am new to this. I don't understand what the MRI means.

L3-L4 there is mild facet arthopathy. There is an extremely small disk bulge that results in no mass effect on the central canal or neural foramen.

At L4-L5, the disk is desiccated with a small, siffuse, posterior disk bulge. there is a very shallow, small superimposed midline and slightly left parasafittal protrusion and annular fissure. there is a mild left lateral recess stenosis but no discrete nerve compression. The central canal is mildly narrowed. the nueral foramina are patent. There is facet arthropathy.

L5-S1 disck is dessicated with disk apce narrowing and moderate chronic appearing diffuse posterior disk bulge and midline annular fissure. No discrete nerve compression is seen. foraminal disk bulging results in mild foraminal narrowing bilaterally. there is significate facet arthropathy.

The sacroiliac joints are intact. There is some minor nonspecific edema in the subcutaneous fat in the midline behind the spinous processes. No para soft tissue abnormality.

Lots of stuff i dont understand. Can someone help me to figure this all out?

[cjosea101]

sorry for the spelling errors but my hands dont work so well. here is the post with corrct speIling.
I just had a new MRI done on my lubar spine. If I am posting in the wrong place let me know as I am new to this. I don't understand what the MRI means.

L3-L4 there is mild facet arthopathy. There is an extremely small disk bulge that results in no mass effect on the central canal or neural foramen.

At L4-L5, the disk is desiccated with a small, diffuse, posterior disk bulge. there is a very shallow, small superimposed midline and slightly left parasagittal protrusion and annular fissure. there is a mild left lateral recess stenosis but no discrete nerve compression. The central canal is mildly narrowed. the nueral foramina are patent. There is facet arthropathy.

L5-S1 disck is dessicated with disk apce narrowing and moderate chronic appearing diffuse posterior disk bulge and midline annular fissure. No discrete nerve compression is seen. foraminal disk bulging results in mild foraminal narrowing bilaterally. there is significate facet arthropathy.

The sacroiliac joints are intact. There is some minor nonspecific edema in the subcutaneous fat in the midline behind the spinous processes. No para soft tissue abnormality.

Lots of stuff i dont understand. Can someone help me to figure this all out? I am in a lot of pain much of the time but can't seem to get a doctor to touch me or try to help ...

[tortoisegirl]

I always recommend talking to your doctors about test results. Unless someone here just happened to be your radiologist/doctor/etc, it is highly unlikely they could accurately interpret your results without seeing them and knowing your entire medical history. I do hope someone can come along and make a guess though. Best wishes.