title: [Abducens nerve palsy due to postraumatic retroclival and spinal subdural hematoma: case report and literature review].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Retroclival posttraumatic hematomas are extremely rare and almost exclusive to childhood. Only one case of retroclival subdural hematoma has been reported in the literature to date.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 8-year-old boy suffered a severe head injury with cervical hyperextension as the result of a bicycle accident. On admission his initial Glasgow Coma Score was 13 and he had diplopia due to right palsy of the VI nerve. A retroclival subdural hematoma was observed by CT and MRI of the craneovertebral junction. Management was conservative and a rigid collar was placed. Palsy of VI nerve recovered spontaneously at 6 days and at discharge the patient had only cervical pain. Follow up at 3 months after the accident showed clinical and radiological resolution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traumatic retroclival hematomas are mainly a pediatric entity due to immaturity of the cranio-cervical junction. Treatment consists of placement of a rigid collar although clinical progression may require surgical evacuation.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurocirugía. Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Barcelona. icatala@santpau.cat
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Catalá-Antúnez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Quintana-Schmidt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clavel-Laria
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montes-Graciano
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molet-Teixidó
mesh_terms: D020434:Abducens Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D046649:Hematoma, Subdural, Spinal / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome