Pediatric intervertebral disk calcification in childhood: three case reports and review of literature

Intervertebral disk calcification is a rare childhood disease. The etiology of disk calcification in children remains unclear.

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.

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.