Giant Thoracic Calcified Disk: Conservative Management with 3-Year Follow-Up

Calcified disk herniation of the thoracic spine is by no means a rare clinical entity in neurosurgery. We present a 63-year-old woman with a long-standing giant calcified disk in the thoracic spine. Initial imaging studies indicated a differential diagnosis of calcified disk versus meningioma. Given her benign neurologic examination and the presumed morbidity of attempting to resect the lesion, we elected to follow her closely with serial imaging. Over 3 years of consistent follow-up, the lesion has not grown and she has remained free of neurologic changes.