Male, 53 years old, with radicular pain and known myelopathy. Straightening of the cervical lordosis is again seen along with a trace retrolisthesis of C4 relative to C5. Vertebral body heights are preserved. Degenerative endplate signal change is evident at C5, C6 and C7, similar to prior. No concerning marrow replacement or marrow edema is detected.Within the limitation of motion degradation, there may be mild persistent T2 hyperintensity within the spinal cord at C6-7, though this is less conspicuous than on the prior examination. Elsewhere, cord signal is within normal limits. No epidural abnormality is suspected.C2-3: Minimal facet hypertrophy. No significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. No interval changes. C3-4: Facet hypertrophy, left greater than right. No significant spinal canal stenosis. Minimal left foraminal narrowing. No interval changes.C4-5: Facet hypertrophy. Posterior disc-osteophyte complex formation which effaces the ventral thecal sac and slightly impinges the ventral spinal cord. Mild to moderate spinal canal stenosis. Moderate right and mild left foraminal narrowing. No interval changes. C5-6: Facet hypertrophy. Posterior disc-osteophyte complex formation. Mild generalized spinal canal stenosis. Moderate right and mild left foraminal narrowing. No interval changes. C6-7: Facet hypertrophy. Posterior disc-osteophyte complex formation with a right paracentral superimposed protrusion which is perhaps slightly smaller than on the prior examination. This continues to impinge the right aspect of the spinal cord causing a moderate generalized spinal canal stenosis which is unchanged. Severe left and moderate right foraminal narrowing, unchanged. C7-T1: Facet hypertrophy. Minimal posterior disc-osteophyte complex formation. No significant spinal canal stenosis. Mild bilateral foraminal narrowing. No interval changes.
Significant disc degeneration is again seen at C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7 where there is spinal canal narrowing and cord impingement.At C6-7, a right paracentral disc osteophyte complex may be slightly smaller than on the prior examination but cord impingement persists. Spinal cord signal abnormally seen on the prior examination at C6-7 is not as apparent on the present study which could represent improved edema or simply differences in technique.