Anteroposterior spondyloschisis of the atlas. Two case reports and literature review.
Congenital bony defects of the atlas are uncommon; with isolated posterior clefts being the most frequent anomaly and combined anterior and posterior defects the least common, occurring in only 0.3-0.7% of the population. These anomalies can cause confusion, particularly in the setting of trauma when appearances on plain radiography may be misinterpreted as representing a fracture. Two cases of anteroposterior spondyloschisis are presented and the pathology, diagnosis and the clinical relevance of such defects discussed with reference to previous published literature.
Muthu
Senthil Kumar
SK
Department of Radiology, Hammersmith Hospital NHS trust, Duncan Road, London W12 0HS, UK. msekumar@yahoo.com
Cox
Susan
S
Gunawardena
Windsor J
WJ
Balakrishnan
Geetha
G
D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001270:Cervical Atlas / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed