Sequestrated thoracic disc herniation mimicking a tumoral lesion in the spinal canal—a case report

Abstract

Calcified thoracic disc sequestration is a very rare disease. Unusual sequestered disc fragments mimic spinal tumors and other space-occupying lesions due to a lack of discernible clinical features that can be used to differentiate these disc fragments from disc herniations and tumoral lesions. In this report, we describe a patient with a dorsally sequestrated calcified disc fragment in the thoracic spine that mimicked a bony tumoral lesion of the spinal canal and present a literature review. Thoracic disc sequestration accompanied by an atypical location requires a systematic diagnostic approach involving accurate preoperative history and careful radiographic evaluation.