MRI LEFT SHOULDER: MODERATE OA CHANGES NOTED IN THE LEFT AC JOINT WITH SOME NARROWING OF THE SUBACROMIAL SPACE AND MILD IMPINGEMENT OF THE INFERIOR ASPECT OF LEFT ACROMION ON THE SUPERIOR ASPECT OF SUPRASPINATUS TENDONS. GLENOHUMERAL JOINT EFFUSION NOTED. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN SIMPLE ENGLISH ? I AM 51 YEAR OLD FEMALE, SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT MRI RESULTS?

Simply put, there is some moderate wear and tear noted in your left shoulder joint. There is excessive fluid – most likely secondary to inflammation – noted in the shoulder joint. The MRI results are supplementary to your physical exam. Seeing how you have chronic shoulder pain, it could be due to excessive wearing of the joint. There are no gross abnormalities noted in the MRI report (such as a fracture or tendon/ligament tear) so that is reassuring. With these MRI results, your primary doctor should be able to decide how to manage your shoulder pain and if draining of the fluid from glenohumeral joint is warranted or if continued use of corticosteroid injections might be the better option.