THORACIC DISC HERNIATION AT T7-8 IN A 41-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WITH A 16-YEAR COURSE WAS TREATED WITH PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPIC THORACIC DISCECTOMY: A CASE REPORT

The objective of this study is to report a 41-year-old female TDH patient with a 16-year history with mainly upper left back pain radiating to the ipsilateral chest area. Concomitant spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and physical examination confirmed a T7-8 and T8-9 disc herniation. Ultimately, the diagnostic measures ruled the source of the pain derived from T7-8 that was consistent with patient’s self-reported areas of pain associated with T7-8 myotome and dermatome distribution. The patient and surgeons chose percutaneous endoscopic thoracic discectomy (PETD) as the treatment intervention. After removal of the herniation mass and posterior marginal osteophyte that compressed right anterior-lateral surface of the spinal cord, the preoperative visual analog scale (VAS) pain rating decreased from 6 to nearly 0, which was further confirmed by postoperative MRI and CT imaging. And the 3-dimensional CT findings suggested structural recovery at T7-8. To date, there are minimal published studies exploring the treatment effect of PETD on TDH, regardless the median or high thoracic level. Here, this study provides support that PETD can be used as an effective and safe therapy for median thoracic disc herniation.