title: Fatality from minor cervical trauma in ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: Cervical injury is a serious and often fatal complication of ankylosing spondylitis in the setting of minor trauma. This case report describes a 51-year-old woman with ankylosing spondylitis and a minor trauma who developed severe bradycardia during positioning for x ray. Further diagnostic revealed a hyperextensive fracture of C4 with fragments compressing the cervical medulla. The woman subsequently died from hypoxic brain damage. Reviewing the literature, a high alertness in ankylosing spondylitis and minor trauma with neck immobilisation is emphasised, early diagnosis using cervical spine computed tomography is essential to a favourable outcome, and the mechanism of bradycardia in cervical trauma is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum Traunstein, Department of Neurology, Cuno-Niggl-Str. 3, Traunstein, 83278, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorleif
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Etgen
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rieder