TRAUMATIC OCCIPITAL CONDYLE FRACTURE, MULTIPLE CRANIAL NERVE PALSIES, AND TORTICOLLIS - A CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

A 32-year-old man sustained a unique combination of injuries: an occipital condyle fracture, left tenth to twelfth cranial nerve palsies, and chronic torticollis secondary to atlantoaxial rotatory fixation. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a triangular fragment of bone in the posterior fossa, and three-dimensional CT-reconstructed images confirmed the bone fragment to be from the occipital condyle. The patient made a good recovery with conservative management. Few occipital condyle fractures have been reported, and they should be suspected in patients who sustain painful neck and lower cranial nerve palsy following trauma. CT and plain films are complementary in confirming the diagnosis.