Pediatric Disc Herniation

  • Etiology: Occurs after an exertion and is traumatic not degenerative in nature
  • Imaging Radiograph: Normal with no degenerative disc space narrowing
  • Imaging MRI:
    — Asymmetric extradural defect
    — Larger in size than adults because small tear in annulus can cause large amount of tissue to extrude
    — May occur with herniation of some vertebral growth plate which is termed slipped vertebral apophysis
  • DDX:
  • Complications:
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical: Rare in prepubertal children with increasing incidence in adolescents (especially athletes)

Radiology Cases of Disc Herniation

Radiology Cases of Cervical Disc Herniation

MRI of pediatric cervical spine disc herniation causing cord compression
Sequential sagittal T2 MRI of the spine shows at the level of C5-C6 low signal intensity material herniating posteriorly causing severe stenosis of the spinal canal along with bright signal in the spinal cord at that level.

Radiology Cases of Lumbar Disc Herniation

MRI of disc herniation
Sagittal and axial (at the L5 level) T1 MRI without contrast of the lumbar spine shows central and posterior displacement of the L5 intervertebral disk.