Common Terms on an MRI Report

Spinal MRI reports use a lot of specialised language, and seeing unfamiliar terms can be worrying when much of it simply describes normal, age-related change. The plain-English explanations below are a general guide to what the words usually mean. They are not an interpretation of your own scan — only your doctor or specialist can tell you what your report means for you, by reading it alongside your symptoms and examination.

- Disc desiccation — drying out of a disc as it loses water with age; extremely common and often painless.

- Disc bulge — a disc extending a little beyond its normal edge, broadly and symmetrically; frequently a normal ageing change.

- Disc protrusion / herniation ("slipped disc") — part of a disc pushing out further, which can press on a nearby nerve.

- Extrusion / sequestration — a more advanced herniation where disc material has pushed well out, or a fragment has separated.

- Annular fissure (or tear) — a small split in the tough outer ring of a disc; common and not necessarily painful.

- Spinal canal stenosis — narrowing of the central channel that carries the spinal cord and nerves.

- Foraminal / lateral recess narrowing — narrowing of the side exits where individual nerve roots leave the spine.

- Nerve root compression / impingement — a nerve being pressed on, which may explain arm or leg symptoms.

- Facet joint arthropathy / hypertrophy — wear and enlargement of the small joints at the back of the spine.

- Modic changes — inflammatory or degenerative changes in the bone next to a disc, described in types 1 to 3.

- Spondylosis — a general term for age-related "wear and tear" of the spine.

- Spondylolisthesis — one vertebra slipping forward on the one below.

- Cord signal change / myelomalacia — an area of altered signal within the spinal cord itself, which needs careful interpretation.

- Enhancement — an area that brightens after contrast dye, suggesting active blood supply (for example inflammation, infection or tumour).

- Marrow oedema — fluid/swelling within bone, which can indicate a recent fracture, infection or inflammation.

- Incidental finding — something noticed by chance that is unrelated to your symptoms.

Many of the terms above describe changes that are so common they are effectively part of normal ageing and are found in people with no pain at all. That is exactly why a report is never read in isolation: the same words can be trivial in one person and important in another. Seeing the meanings here is intended to reduce alarm and help you have an informed conversation with your specialist — not to diagnose your own scan.

• —NICE — Low Back Pain and Sciatica in Over 16s (NG59)
• —Royal College of Radiologists — iRefer: Making the Best Use of Clinical Radiology
• —British Association of Spine Surgeons (BASS)

This information is for general patient education and is not a substitute for an individual consultation. Always seek personalised advice from a qualified spinal specialist.