Regression of a symptomatic thoracic disc herniation with a calcified intervertebral disc component

Abstract

There were only a few cases describing spontaneous regression of calciŞed thoracic disc herniation in theliterature. We present a 38-year-old male ofŞce worker who had left paramedian-foraminal extrudeddisc at T7eT8 with calciŞcations of the T7eT8 and T8eT9 intervertebral discs. This case was unique inthat the non-calciŞed extruded disc material regressed almost completely in 5 months while the calciŞedintervertebral discs remained the same during the process of regression. This report stresses thatregression of the herniated material of the thoracic discs with subsidence of the symptoms is stillpossible even if the disc material is calcified.