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Updated: Jun 22, 2025
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Optical Sectioning and Visualization of the Intervertebral Disc from Embryonic Development to Degeneration
Published on: July 8, 2021
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Calcified Thoracic Disc - A descriptive classification with clinical and management implications
Shahnawaz Haleem1, Amirul Adlan1, Christine Azzopardi2
1Department of Spinal Surgery, The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
Journal of Craniovertebral Junction & Spine
|July 3, 2024
Summary
Thoracic disc calcifications (CTDs) can cause myelopathy and may be underdiagnosed. Disc morphology, not just size, is crucial for determining surgical intervention in CTD patients.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Spinal Cord Imaging
Background:
- Thoracic disc calcification (CTD) is a radiological finding associated with spinal cord compression and myelopathy.
- CTDs can be incidental or symptomatic, potentially leading to delayed diagnosis and neurological deterioration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the imaging patterns of calcified thoracic discs (CTDs).
- To assess the relationship between CTD size, morphology, spinal cord compression, and patient management.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of a tertiary referral orthopedic hospital's spinal and radiology database (2007-2020).
- Inclusion of 51 identified cases of CTDs.
- Analysis of patient demographics, radiological findings, disc size, morphology, and correlation with spinal cord compression and surgical intervention.
Main Results:
- The mean size of CTD was 806.2 mm³; the most common level was T9-T10.
- CTDs commonly presented as disc protrusion (67%), followed by mushroom type (31%).
- 37% of patients had spinal cord compression, with 12% undergoing surgery; mushroom-type calcifications were more likely to require surgery.
Conclusions:
- Thoracic disc calcifications can be underdiagnosed, leading to myelopathic deterioration.
- Awareness among physicians and radiologists is vital for timely diagnosis and management.
- Disc morphology, rather than absolute size, is a key determinant for surgical intervention in CTDs.
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