title: Thoracic disk herniation manifesting as sciatica-like pain--two case reports.
abstract: Two patients presented with sciatica-like pain caused by thoracic disk herniation. Sciatica-like pain was the initial and major symptom in both patients, but careful neurological examination showed vague signs of upper motor neuron disturbance, and thoracic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed disk herniations at the mid-thoracic level. After video-assisted thoracoscopic discectomy, the pain was completely improved. Thorough neurological examination and MR imagery of the thoracic spine, and if needed, even the cervical spine, are required if lumbar image findings do not correlate with the symptoms or physical examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Wooridul Spine Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung-Lea
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sang-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin-Sung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017586:Diskectomy; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D009192:Myelography; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D038361:Neuronavigation; D012585:Sciatica / Q000209:etiology*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery