Metastases of the Thoracic Spine

http://clinicalcases.blogspot.com/2004/06/prostate-cancer-with-bone-metastases.html. This an MRI image of a patients T-spine that has bone mets. The spine is the third most common site for cancer cells to metastases. 70% of symptomatic lesions are found in the thoracic region. Metastases is more common the men that woman. There is a median survival rate of about 10 months. 90% of the patients present with back pain followed by radicular pain. 50% of these have sensory and motor dysfunction, and more than 50% have bowel and bladder dysfunction. Xray, MRI, CT, and Nuclear Medicine bone scan can be used to diagnosis mets. There has been no treatment found to increase the life expectancy in patients with spinal metastases. The main goal is to control the patients pain.

Cervical Spinal Stenosis

www.eorthopod.com/public/patient_education/64... This image is showing cervical spinal stenosis at the area of C5-6. Spinal stenosis is when the spinal canal is narrowed and compresses the spinal cord and nerves. This is usually due to age causing spinal degeneration. It can also be caused by disc herniation, osteoporosis, a tumor, spondylosis, or calcification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Cervical spinal stenosis causes radicular pain, upper extremity numbness and/or weakness, sensory deficits, and reflex abnormalities. This can be diagnosed using preferably MRI or CT if unable to get a MRI. Mild cases can be treated with physical therapy and use of a cervical collar. Severe cases my require laminectomy, hemilaminectomy, or decompression.