Pediatric intervertebral disk calcification in childhood: three case reports and review of literature.
BACKGROUND
Intervertebral disk calcification is a rare childhood disease. The etiology of disk calcification in children remains unclear.


METHODS
We report three cases of children with cervical disk calcification. Their clinical manifestations are very different. The first patient mainly had a neurological deficiency. The second had neck pain and muscular deficit of the left musculus deltoideus. The third had isolated strong neck pain. By presenting these three cases, we want to recall the different symptoms that correspond to this disease and discuss the decisions to be made in regard to radiological investigation and treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Healing takes place spontaneously after several days, and the calcifications disappears after about 6 months after a stage of fragmentation. Conservative treatment by immobilization of the spine and analgesic therapy are sufficient. Operative treatment should be reserved for severe radicular pain or for significant and persistent sensorimotor deficits from either root or spinal cord compression.
Department of Pediatric Emergency Care, University Hospital Archet 2, BP 3079, 06202 Nice cedex 3, France.
Charlotte
C
Lernout
Hervé
H
Haas
Amandine
A
Rubio
Jacques
J
Griffet
D000293:Adolescent; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010291:Paresis / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology