Abstract
Lumbar disc prolapse has been rarely described in young children. In this report, we reported a lumbar disc prolapse in an overweight 9-year-old girl after trauma. The girl had a severe radicular pain that did not respond to conservative treatment. Operative management was conducted, and histopathologic examination of the prolapsed disc material revealed chondrocyte proliferation, tears and clefts of the annulus fibrosus, and fibrocartilaginous degeneration. These early degenerative changes suggested the effect of the high body mass index as an underlying factor for the disc prolapse in this girl.
Highlights
Prolapsed lumbar disc (PLD) is a common spine disorder that is frequently encountered in the adult population, and it commonly occurs as a result of either trauma or, more frequently, disc degeneration [1,2,3]
PLD has been rarely described in young children, with only eight cases in the literature reported under the age of 9 years, the youngest being 1 year [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
The disc material comprising of nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus exhibited histologic alterations denoting degenerative changes previously described by Boos et al [19] and Weiler et al [20], with no evidence of obvious inflammation or neoplastic formation
Summary
Prolapsed lumbar disc (PLD) is a common spine disorder that is frequently encountered in the adult population, and it commonly occurs as a result of either trauma or, more frequently, disc degeneration [1,2,3].On the other hand, PLD has been rarely described in young children, with only eight cases in the literature reported under the age of 9 years, the youngest being 1 year [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8].Unlike adults where degenerative changes are the main cause, the main factor associated with PLD in children is trauma with subsequent axial load or a sport-related injury. Prolapsed lumbar disc (PLD) is a common spine disorder that is frequently encountered in the adult population, and it commonly occurs as a result of either trauma or, more frequently, disc degeneration [1,2,3]. PLD has been rarely described in young children, with only eight cases in the literature reported under the age of 9 years, the youngest being 1 year [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Unlike adults where degenerative changes are the main cause, the main factor associated with PLD in children is trauma with subsequent axial load or a sport-related injury. Due to the rarity of lumbar disc pathology and the lack of classical radiculopathy in the pediatric population, there is often a delay in diagnosis [12]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
