Male, 40 years old, lumbar pain and radiculopathy. Spinal alignment is anatomic. Vertebral body height and morphology are within normal limits. No evidence of pathologic marrow replacement or edema is seen.The visualized distal spinal cord and conus are within normal limits. The nerve roots of the cauda equina disperse evenly through the thecal sac. No epidural abnormalities are suspected.Mild loss of disc height and disc bulging are seen in the lower thoracic spine as visualized on sagittal images. Additional level specific findings are as follows:L1-2: Unremarkable. L2-3: Unremarkable. L3-4: Mild facet arthropathy. Small right foraminal disc protrusion which contacts the exiting right L3 nerve root. No significant spinal canal stenosis is seen. The right neural foramen is mildly narrowed. L4-5: Mild facet arthropathy, left more than right. No significant spinal canal stenosis. Mild left foraminal narrowing. L5-S1: Moderate facet arthropathy. Mild bulging disc with a superimposed left foraminal annular fissure/protrusion. No significant spinal canal stenosis. Moderate left and mild right foraminal narrowing.
1.A small foraminal disc protrusion on the right at L3-4 contacts the exiting L3 nerve root but causes only mild generalized narrowing of the foramen.2.A left foraminal protrusion at L5-S1, along with facet arthropathy, causes moderate narrowing of the neural foramen.3.No areas of significant spinal canal stenosis are seen