title: A case of Collet-Sicard syndrome associated with traumatic atlas fractures and congenital basilar invagination.
abstract: An 18 year old man with congenital basilar invagination developed multiple lower cranial nerve (CN) palsies including CN IX to XII after a traffic accident. Computed tomography of his skull base revealed a two part atlas Jefferson fracture. Normally, lower cranial nerves (CN IX-XII) pass through a space between the styloid process and the atlas transverse process. Atlas burst fractures rarely cause neurological deficits because of a greater transverse and sagittal diameter of the spinal canal at the atlas, and a tendency of the lateral masses to slide away from the cord after injury. However, when associated with a rare condition-congenital basilar invagination-atlas fractures can compromise the space and make CN IX-XII more vulnerable to compression injury. This report discusses the correlation between the anatomical lesions and clinical features of this patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, 199 Tun Hwa North Road, Taipei, Taiwan 10591.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Ro
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D001270:Cervical Atlas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications; D020435:Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D020437:Hypoglossal Nerve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology