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. 2012 Jun 28:6:166.
doi: 10.1186/1752-1947-6-166.

Cervical disc herniation presenting with neck pain and contralateral symptoms: a case report

Jacky T Yeung  1 , John I Johnson, Aftab S Karim
Affiliations

Cervical disc herniation presenting with neck pain and contralateral symptoms: a case report

Jacky T Yeung et al. J Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical disc herniation often results in neck and arm pain in patients as a result of direct impingement of nerve roots and associated inflammatory processes. The clinical presentation usually corresponds with the side of herniation and ipsilateral symptoms predominate the clinical picture.

Case presentation: A 35-year-old Caucasian man presented to our facility with neck pain and left-sided upper and lower extremity pain. A magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a right paramedian herniated disc at the C5 to C6 level. All other cervical levels were normal without central canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis. Results from magnetic reasonance imaging scans of the brain and lumbar spine were negative. An anterior cervical discectomy was performed at the C5 to C6 level, and an inter-body graft and plate were placed. Our patient had complete resolution of his neck and left arm pain.

Conclusions: Anterior discectomy and fusion of the cervical spine resulted in complete resolution of our patient's neck and left arm symptoms and improvement of his contralateral left leg pain. Cervical disc herniation may present with contralateral symptoms that are different from the current perception of this disease.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging scan. The arrow on the sagittal T1-weighted cervical spine image shows the central canal is severely narrowed.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging scan. The arrow on the axial T1-weighted cervical spine image shows the cervical cord posteriorly displaced at the level of the C5 to C6 disc space.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Post-operative X-ray image. Lateral projection showing anterior cervical fusion at the C5 to C6 level.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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