Unexpected death after occipital condylar fracture.
case_report · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 28432520.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1007/s00701-017-3165-5 and PMC identifier 5425500.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
We present a rare fatal complication of an occipital condylar fracture. The patient was initially neurologically intact, but showed secondary clinical deterioration. Imaging revealed extensive extra-axial hemorrhage at the craniocervical junction and an acute obstructive hydrocephalus. MR imaging demonstrated a T2 hyperintens signal in both the lower brainstem and upper cervical spinal cord, likely caused by the extra-axial hemorrhage. As prognosis was estimated infaust, supportive treatment was discontinued and the patient died soon thereafter. This case report illustrates a rare, delayed complication and unexpected death in a patient having sustained an occipital condylar fracture.
Medical subject headings
- Cervical Atlas
- Occipital Bone
- Skull Fractures