Vesicle consisted of calcified core and intervening turbid fluid, a possible composition of calcification in intervertebral disc calcification in children

Intervertebral disc calcification (IDC) is one of the uncommon diseases in children. Normally, it is a benign lesion which is self-limited and has an excellent prognosis under conservative treatments and symptomatic support. Surgical treatment is usually carried out only for patients with progressive neurological deterioration in order to prevent the spinal cord from being irreversible injured. After conservative treatments for months or years, the calcification reduces gradually or even disappears through imaging. Until now, the etiology remains unclear and the mechanism for resorption of IDC is still unknown. Surgery was performed on an IDC patient with progressive neurological deterioration, it was found that the high density calcification region on CT is actually not "hard" but more like an enlarged cell. In such a cell, a calcified nuclear was surrounded by limewater-like liquid inside a large membrane. This study aims to unveil the mechanism for the resorption of IDC. We hypothesize that the high density calcification on imaging is a vesicle consisted of calcified core and intervening turbid fluid. Furthermore, the increase or diminution of calcification is caused by the production or resorption of inflammatory fluid around the calcified core in lesion disc. This could explain the mechanism of IDC resorption in children.