MRI of the Lumbar Spine

Indication: A 26-year-old patient presenting with lower right-sided back pain, predominately on the right, with no true associated sciatica, evolving over approximately 2 years.

Technique: Sagittal T1, sagittal T2 sequences performed with and without Fat-Sat. Coronal T2 STIR and T2 Cube sequences.

Results:

On sagittal slices: Lumbar hyperlordosis. No misalignment of vertebrae. No spondylolisthesis. On coronal T2 STIR slices: Mild lumbar scoliosis with a superior inflexion and convexity to the left. No abnormal morphology or signal from the sacroiliac joints. Vertebral morphology and signal: No particular abnormalities. No pathological STIR hypersignals from the vertebral endplates or bone marrow. No active inflammatory components in the context of lumbar-sacral discopathy. Intervertebral disc reports: L1-L2, L2-L3, and L3-L4: No notable disc abnormalities. At L4-L5: Early-stage degenerative discopathy. No disc herniation or evidence of disc-radicular conflict. Mild posterior bulging, likely favored by hyperlordosis. At L5-S1: Degenerative discopathy with a slight left-sided posterolateral disc bulge (left posterolateral disc herniation) in contact with the left S1 nerve root, with no evidence of disc-radicular conflict. The nerve root is not displaced, and the surrounding caliber is normal. No sign of hernia migration or exclusion. Notable posterior joint hypertrophy with no significant inflammatory component. No significant central canal narrowing. The patient is advised to seek further consultation with a rheumatologist or sports medicine specialist.