Hello everyone. I’m looking for someone to either confirm or correct my thoughts on the term “MYELOMALACIA”

I recently had an MRI report that mentioned possible MYELOMACIA next to a mildly (3mm) paracentral herniated disc. I know about myelopathy, demyelination, lesions, myelitis…etc But I’ve never heard of this MYELOMACIA before.

Unfortunately if you just type in Myelomalacia what you first find out is that it is common in dogs and is a progressively fatal disease.Then as you search for the general term as it pertains to humans and you get not so uplifting gems like this one:

*admin edit*

Wow – Yikes!!!!

But if you do some deeper digging you find that the MYELOMALACIA term is often just used as a general term to mean the following:

Any ICI –Increased Signal Intensity on the cord from the likes of:
- MS
- TM
- B12 def
- Zoster Virus
- Compressive bruise from ruptured disc
- Etc……

My neurologist confirmed this to me today. If you have a white spot on your cord you may see the term MYELOMALACIA in your report which by no means identifies what it is and does not tell you that you have the progressive disease noted above.

So it seems there is a true progressive disease called MYELOMALACIA and then there is also a broadly general term MYELOMALACIA used to suggest the presence of and ICI or lesion on the cord from unkown source.
Is what I researched accurate?

I can't answer all your questions but I can add to your knowledge by sharing my experience. I am now in my early seventies. Nearly ten years ago my walking mobility suddenly deteriorated and neuropathic pain from the hips downwards correspondingly increased, having been relatively mild for about 15 years previously. Best descriptions I can come up with for the mobility problem are heavy legs and poor balance.

After investigations including MRI I was given a spinal decompression operation which did not alleviate either problem but, so I was told, would stabilise the condition which was stated to be, yes, myelomalacia. The surgeon avoided questions as to cause saying at one point: "you won't hear that word from my mouth", the word in question being 'injury'.

The condition has indeed been stabilised so at least in my case myelomalacia doesn't appear to be a progressive condition. Various medications have had no effect on the neuropathic pain, which is ever present. I have occasionally searched for more info but usually come up with no more than 'softening of the spinal cord'.