title: Thoracic disk herniation.
abstract: Symptomatic thoracic disk herniation is unlikely to be encountered with significant frequency in clinical practice. Subtle manifestations required a high index of suspicion if the work-up is to be efficient. In the appropriate candidate, magnetic resonance imaging is the best screening tool, and it may be the only diagnostic study required. In the symptomatic patient with neurologic dysfunction or persistent pain refractory to nonsurgical therapy, surgical diskectomy is a safe and effective treatment with limited morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Branch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed