Spinal MRI- Dark Spots on Vertebrae?

[Audrey_M]

Anybody out there know something about the presentation of bone in MRIs?

I posted this in the Back and Neck Forum, but this is a very active forum and I am more likely to get replies here. Also, many of you have had MRIs of the spine, so I may hear back from some of you that you too had dark spots show up on your bones. Or I may hear "Never heard of it".

I have been dx'd with DDD in both the C and L spine. I also have numerous brain lesions, that cannot be explained by DDD, but are not typical of MS. My MRIs of the spine show dark spots on the bone, yet my research comes up empty handed. All of the images I see online show more or less uniform bone color, but not mine. Yeah, I always like to be different! Can't fit this girl into a mold.

Attached are some images of the recent C spine. An older MRI of the lumbar spine (on old fashioned film) showed the same kind of V shaped discoloration on several vertebrae. There was nothing of note in the radiologists report on this.

I had lead poisoning back in 1991 (from dump burning 2 to 3x/week of toxic materials- like can you say lead based paint and marine batteries?- from 1/90 to 10/91) and wonder if some of the non-motor neuro sx are due to lead leaching out from my bones after menopause, which is when my sx began.

Audrey

[Audrey_M]

My concern is that maybe lead that was stored in the bone is leaching into my blood and this may be the cause of other neuro symptoms. Just don't know what the difference in color might mean.

My blood levels for lead were 38 mg/dl after the dump burning had been stopped for months. The half life of lead is one month, so it is safe to infer that I was at toxic levels for a period of time. Fell overboard 3 times, losing weight in spite of increased appetite and was so fatigued that I went to the States for rest and a thorough check up. Doc thought it was a thyroid problem.

Son was a toddler when we found out about the lead. He is ADHD, most likely due to lead poisoning.

Current sx coincide with menopause, which is when a lot of changes take place in the body, with loss of bone density and a time when the release of lead from hard tissue into soft tissue takes place.

Audrey

[jensequitur]

I would say it's doubtful that bone loss is causing neurological symptoms.  Bone loss can cause spine problems, leading to nerve pressure, but I don't see that in the picture you've posted.