Severe posttraumatic craniocervical instability in the very young patient. Report of three cases.
Children younger than 3 years of age represent a distinct subpopulation of patients at particular risk for high cervical and craniovertebral injuries. There are few descriptions of survivors of severe craniocervical trauma among the very young, and scarce data exist regarding management after initial emergency stabilization. The authors describe three children, age 1 to 32 months, who presented with craniocervical junction injuries. Variable neurological findings were observed at presentation (cranial nerve deficits, obtundation, and moderate-to-severe quadriparesis). All three were treated with prolonged immobilization and have recovered with minimal to no neurological deficit.
Ghatan
Saadi
S
Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University, Children's Hospital of New York, New York 10032, USA. Sg2160@columbia.edu
Newell
David W
DW
Grady
M Sean
MS
Mirza
Sohail K
SK
Chapman
Jens R
JR
Mann
Frederick A
FA
Ellenbogen
Richard G
RG
D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020196:Trauma, Nervous System / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome