title: Os odontoideum complicating craniovertebral junction tuberculosis: a case report.
abstract: METHODS
  A case report and review of literature.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To present a rare case of os odontoideum complicating craniovertebral junction (CVJ) tuberculosis (TB) and discuss the treatment outcome.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  CVJ is a rare site of predilection for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The treatment protocol for this entity has periodically undergone swings between conservative treatment and radical surgery. To the best of our knowledge, os odontoideum complicating TB of this region has not been reported before in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report on a 17-year-old patient with CVJ TB in setting of dystopic os odontoideum. The patient presented with fever, cervical pain and weakness of all the four limbs, and was treated with antitubercular chemotherapy along with cervical traction, followed by halo-vest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient made uneventful recovery with conservative form of treatment and was asymptomatic at 36 months of follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case has the originality of being the first report of CVJ TB with dystopic os odontoideum. High index of suspicion by the clinician must be practiced to make the appropriate diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Maulana Azad Medical College & Associated Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Dhananjaya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sabat
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009809:Odontoid Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011859:Radiography; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents