Differential diagnosis of cervical disc prolapse
The differential diagnoses of cervical disc prolapse include:
- cervical spondylosis due to an osteophyte - this is most often indistinguishable from disc prolapse
- neuralgic amyotrophy - the pain is acute, severe, and localised to the shoulder rather than the neck (1)
- cervical spine infections - in this condition the local spasm is severe and the pain is constant. X-rays reveal erosion of the vertebral end-plates
- cervical tumours - a tumour will cause a progressive neurological disturbance and X-rays will reveal destruction of bone
1. Nens van Alfen. The neuralgic amyotrophy consultation. J Neurol. 2007 Jun; 254(6): 695–704.
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