Thoracic disc disease: diagnosis and surgical treatment.

Symptomatic thoracic disc disease is uncommon. Unlike cervical or lumbar disc disease, this disorder frequently is not associated with pain. Often, diagnosis is delayed until signs of myelopathy develop. Surgical intervention is the treatment of choice. Because of the unique characteristics of the thoracic spinal canal, the vascular supply to the spinal cord, and the fact that many of these disc extrusions are anterior to the cord, different surgical techniques are needed. Few patients experience intraoperative complications; however, some approaches predispose patients to the risks of both thoracotomy and exploration of the spinal canal. Postoperative complications are similar to those associated with thoracotomy. Most patients have an improvement in neurologic function after therapy.