A Giant Calcified Thoracic Hernia: A Case Report and Analysis of Complications.

Giant calcified thoracic disc herniations are rare and represent a major surgical challenge due to their association with myelopathy, vascular compromise, and high perioperative morbidity. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman with progressive myelopathy secondary to a giant calcified thoracic disc herniation at the T7-T8 level. Surgical management via a lateral extracavitary approach was complicated by wrong-level discectomy, incomplete resection of the calcified disc, progressive spinal cord injury, cerebrospinal fluid fistula, infectious complications, and death. This case highlights critical technical pitfalls and emphasizes the importance of accurate level localization, vascular planning, and multidisciplinary management in complex thoracic spine surgery.