Adolescent aged 14 years, admitted for treatment of a cervical disc herniation at C4-C5 level. One month earlier she had begun to suffer from right cervicobrachialgia and cervical muscle contractures, without neurological deficits. The pain improved with conservative treatment, but a few days later she began to have difficulty abducting her right upper limb. Physical examination revealed a loss of strength in the right deltoid and biceps (grades 2/5 and 4/5 respectively). There were no sensory alterations or pyramidalism in the lower limbs. Cervical spine X-rays showed loss of height in the vertebral bodies of C4-C5-C6, as well as calcification at the level of the C4-C5 disc. Cervical MRI revealed a voluminous right C4-C5 disc herniation involving the ipsilateral root. A cervical computed tomography (CT) scan showed that the herniation was calcified. A complete analytical study was performed, showing no abnormalities in the haemogram, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or phosphocalcic metabolism. A scintigraphy ruled out pathological uptake.

This patient had been diagnosed at the age of 10 years with idiopathic intervertebral calcifications following a radiographic study due to cervical pain. This study showed the existence of a calcification at the level of C4-C5 and several calcifications at the dorsal level. An MRI ruled out any disc herniation. Until the current episode, she had been asymptomatic, except for occasional back pain.
Given the patient's neurological deficit, surgical treatment of the disc herniation via the anterolateral approach was chosen. During surgery, an intervertebral disc with fine calcifications was observed. When the posterior common vertebral ligament was opened, a whitish, pasty material came out, which was under moderate tension. The pathological report of the material obtained was fibrocartilage with foci of calcification. One month later the patient had fully recovered from her deficits.