Degenerative disc disease

Degenerative disc disease
Diagnosis in short
Template:Px Degenerative disc disease. HPS stain.
LM	benign fibrous tissue, nests of chondrocytes
LM DDx	chondrocalcinosis, synovial cyst, malignancy (primary or metastasis)
Site	vertebral disc - see spine
Symptoms	back pain
Prevalence	common
Radiology	disc herniation
Prognosis	benign
Treatment	surgical (e.g. discectomy)

Degenerative disc disease, abbreviated DDD, is a common ditzel, typically generated in the course of a discectomy operation.

Vertebral disc and discectomy redirect here.

General

• Herniated disc - causes back pain.
• May result in cauda equina syndrome.
• Composed of fibrous cartilage.

Microscopic

Features:

• Benign fibrous tissue.
• Nests of chondrocytes (as in immature cartilage).
• +/-Synovium with or without proliferation.
• +/-Neovascularization of disc material.
• hemosiderin deposits (trauma or previous surgery).

DDx:

• Chondrocalcinosis (CPPD).
• Synovial cyst.
• Malignancy - very rare if not suspected.
  • Not reported in a series of 985 specimens.
  • Unexpected malignancy in 2 of 2177 specimens.

Images

• 

  Degenerative disc disease - intermed. mag. (WC)

• Degenerative disc disease - high mag. (WC)

• Degenerative disc disease -- intermed mag.jpg

  DDD - intermed. mag. (WC)

• Degenerative disc disease -- high mag.jpg

  DDD - high mag. (WC)

• Degenerative disc disease -- very high mag.jpg

  DDD - very high mag. (WC)

www:

• Degenerative disk disease (rsna.org).
• Normal vertebral disc (edu.ag).

Sign out

CERVICAL DISC, DISCECTOMY:
- DISC WITH DEGENERATIVE CHANGES.
- NO EVIDENCE OF MALIGNANCY.

LUMBAR DISC, DECOMPRESSION:
- DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE.

See also

• Spine.