Permanent thoracic myelopathy resulting from herniation of a calcified intervertebral disc in a child.
This retrospective study was made to illustrate the rare occurrence of neurologic deficits resulting from intervertebral disc calcification (IDC) in a child. Most authors agree that juvenile IDC is usually a benign, self-limiting disease with excellent prognosis. The symptoms subside spontaneously in 95% of patients. Conservative treatment is therefore usually sufficient. Reviewing the English-speaking literature, only two further cases of operated juvenile IDC with myelopathy have been published. In the current report, we describe a case of permanent thoracic myelopathy resulting from juvenile IDC treated by urgent decompressive thoracic laminectomy. At the 3-year follow-up examination, the patient had not recovered fully. Persisting deficits in motor and sensory function were observed.
Mahlfeld
Konrad
K
Orthopaedic University Clinic Magdeburg, Germany.
Kayser
Ralph
R
Grasshoff
Henning
H
D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D007796:Laminectomy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology