Male, 41 years old, with back pain. Alignment is anatomic. Vertebral body height and morphology are within normal limits. No concerning marrow replacement or edema is seen.The distal spinal cord, conus and cauda equina demonstrate normal signal intensity and morphology. No epidural abnormalities are suspected.L1-2: Unremarkable. L2-3: Unremarkable. L3-4: Facet arthropathy with bilateral facet effusions. Loss of disc height and T2 signal. Right paracentral disc protrusion causing mild effacement of the right ventral thecal sac. The right neural foramen is minimally narrowed. Left neural foramen is patent. L4-5: Facet arthropathy. Loss of disc height and T2 signal. Central disc protrusion causing effacement of the ventral thecal sac but no obvious nerve root impingement. Mild bilateral foraminal narrowing. L5-S1: Facet arthropathy. Loss of disc height and T2 signal. No significant spinal canal stenosis. Mild bilateral foraminal narrowing. Incidental note is made of a partially visualized cystic structure apparently arising from the left kidney.
Degenerative disc disease is seen most notably at L3-4 and L4-5 where there are disc protrusions which efface the thecal sac but which do not appear to impinge upon any specific nerves. No high-grade foraminal stenosis is seen.