Case of anterolateral migration of herniated cervical disc fragment mimicking a spinal meningioma

BACKGROUND: Before the introduction of high-resolution MR, few disc fragments were misdiagnosed as meningiomas. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 63-year-old female presented with a 6-month history of mild to moderate pain in the left arm, weakness 4/5 in the left arm C5-C6 distribution, and a loss of the left biceps reflex response. Although the MR study was read as showing a C5-C6 level probable spinal meningioma, this proved to be a sequestrated disc fragment at surgery. CONCLUSION: Rarely, cervical disc herniations may be misdiagnosed on MR studies as spinal meningiomas.