Hemangioma on the spine

[SAM0918]

Okay I am actucally not sure on how to post this question;
But here goes  I have had right side pain since i was 13 or 14 years old i been hospital numbers of times. I am now a month away from being 25 years old and threw out the years i have just gotten worst with the pain, its on my right above the hip and around there and goes a little throws the back area. This year has also began Paralysis on my whole right side it could go from just some tingle to full blown numbness and weakness and have to drag my foot to walk and not being able to move my right arm at all. I have had just about every kind of test possible and seen all kinds of doctors. ALL have only seen small stuff like cysts on both my kidneys and both of my ovaries but they have dismiss that as the cause and my red marrow has been low at times. Last month I began seeing a new doctor who seems to be very good , he has discovered that i have some very mild nerve damage on my right side, pinched nerves on my upper back.  he sent me to an X-RAY which shown that I have osetopenia, and then to an MRI of my t-spine which mind you he does not understand why out of all the testes i have had never that one. The MRI says :

There is a 7mm x 7mm increased t2 lesion within the t2 vertebral body abutting the inferior endplate. It demonstrates preserved t1 signal and most likely represents a hemangioma
Bone marrow: signal is within normal limits.
Spinal Cord: There is liner vertical increased T2 signal withing the spinal cord centered at T 7 level and spanning between T 6 and T 8 levels over approximately a 4.1cm (craniocaudal). The abnormal signal is within the expected region of central canal and is compatible with a syrinx. It measures u to 2mm x 2.5mm  in its widest area at T 7. The conus medullaris terminates at the T 12- L 1 level. GENERAL DEGENERATIVE CHANGES: Incidentally and imcompletely visualized is mild posterior disc bulge at C 6 -C 7 with DEGENERATIVE disc desiccation at this level.

There is no significant disc displacement, spinal canal stenosis or neural foraminal narrowing at any level in the thoracic spine.

Incidentally noted is a13mm x 11mm left renal cyst.

IMPRESSION:
1. syrinx in the thoracic spinal cord centered at  T 7 level. while no associated mass lesion is seen in the spinal cord, post contrast MRI evaluation of entire spine is recommended. Needed further evaluation.
2.  There is no significant disc displacement, neural foraminal narrowing or central spinal canal stenosis in the thoracic spine.
3. probable hemangioma in T 2 vertebral body. Osteopenia is present.

I should say i work in the hospital that i do my exams at and i did seen the space  in an x ray where the hemangioma is. In addition for the past 2 months i have been having upper and mid back pain as though i was slept wrong. and for the past 3 year I have suffer from horrible headaches. But i am confuse on all this. FEEDBACK AND ANSWER PLEASE.

[SAM0918]

Hi thank you for your response and it sounds like you know your stuff.  when i was younger they did test me for polycystic disease because of the cysts at one point i was going to get dialysis but the doctors did a few tests and it came back neg. for the disease. It did come to mine when i heard i also had cyst in my spine as well. The new doctor field of specialty is rehabilitation and regenerative medcine and musculoskeletal medcine. I seen a few internist and they are in an a teaching hospital. I have as seen a nephrologist and he said my kidneys are perfect besides the cyst on each of them. i have also seen a neurologist because of the headaches i get. I am planning on seeing a neurosurgeon  and an orthopedic and an orthopedic surgeon. however i can not avoid taking otc  painkillers, i try to take it as little as possible but that is very hard because is very very hard and painful to walk or move at times and i have to do both because i work about 40 + hours in a hospital and i have two small children one of the age of 4 and a another of the age of 1. I am hopeful when i see the doctor tomorrow he will be able to tell me more and hopefully send me the right way.  I have been dealing with this for about 11 years and this is the first that a doctor has even found something. Once again thank you for responding back.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, I do agree that with hip pain, an MRI of the hip and spine should have been done long back. However lets look at the current situation. The cysts on the kidney are indicative of polycystic kidney disease which can be associated with cysts in other organs such as ovaries, liver, spleen, lungs, pancreas, heart, brain, spinal cord, vascular aneurysms etc. Also reduced renal function could have been responsible for your osteopenia and other skeletal changes. To be precise since there is multiple organ involvement this would need top be worked by a number of specialists. The last doctor you mentioned seems to be efficient, though I am not sure about this field of specialty, however I would suggest beginning with an internist (preferably at a university/ teaching hospital) to look for the extend of the lesions and other possible associations/ syndromes. You may further need to be evaluated and managed by a nephrologist, neurosurgeon/ neurologist, orthopedician and a gynaecologist. The list may be longer if there are other associations involved. Meanwhile it is advised to avoid OTC painkillers and other drugs that may damage the kidneys.
Hope this was useful.

Take care!