Intervertebral disc calcification in childhood - A case report and review of the literature

The authors report the case of a 10-year-old girl with intervertebral disc calcifications from the levels C6/C7 to Th1/Th2, presenting with a herniate d calcified intervertebral disc at the C7/Th1 level, causing spinal cord co mpression with subsequent progressive paresis and sensory loss of her left leg. After anterior cervical discectomy and fusion the neurological deficit s completely resolved within 2 weeks. It can be concluded that calcificatio n of an intervertebral disc is a rare syndrome in childhood, causing progre ssive neurological deficit only in a few reported cases. Although the treat ment of choice is conservative, surgery is required in patients who develop progressive neurological deficit.