Monday 6 June 2011

Spinous process

The CT scan revealed a small fracture of the spinous process of H's sixth cervical vertebra.  This accounts for the neck pain.  It will have been caused by disease in the vertebra, as detected by the PET scan in March.

On the one hand, this is a minor (but painful) injury to an inessential structure.  On the other hand, it's not reassuring to find that a pathological broken neck is good news.

No immediate treatment is required for it.  But the fracture will probably not heal of its own accord; the doctors (including H) will consider radiotherapy.  And the painful rib may need it too.

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