Occipitocondylar hyperplasia and syringomyelia presenting with facial pain.
The authors describe a unique presentation and long-term management of a rare craniovertebral abnormality in a patient presenting to their institution. This 10-year-old girl presented with right-sided facial pain and subjective dysesthesia of the chest wall without evidence of cervical myelopathy. She was found to have extensive cervicothoracic syringomyelia secondary to compression at the foramen magnum by hypertrophic occipital condyles. Posterior decompression and medial condylectomy was performed, with significant radiological and clinical improvement over the next 5 years of follow-up. The authors discuss the clinical pathophysiology and operative techniques used.
Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom.
James S
JS
Walkden
Richard A
RA
Cowie
John A
JA
Thorne
D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D002648:Child; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005539:Foramen Magnum / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000473:pathology*; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000209:etiology; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome