[Occipital condyle fractures and clivus epidural hematoma. Case report]

Neurochirurgie. 2000 Dec;46(6):563-567.
[Article in French]

Abstract

A 47-year-old woman presented with a rare case of epidural hematoma of the clivus. The patient had bilateral occipital condyle fractures (a comminuted fracture on the right side, an avulsion fracture on left side and a lower clivus fracture). On admission the patient was tetraparetic with left abducens palsy. Preoperative imaging showed no atlanto-axial or occipito-atlantal dislocation. The patient was operated with a posterior approach. An occipital craniectomy with C1 laminectomy was achieved without atlanto-occipital fusion. Two years after the trauma, the patient had mild left hemiparesis but was able to walk normally. Head motion was normal, but just mildly decreased by pain in flexion and extension. Imaging control did not show any occipito-atlantal instability. We describe the imaging features allowing precise diagnosis and discuss the management of a rare entity: bilateral occipital condyle fractures and epidural hematoma of the clivus.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic
  • Cranial Fossa, Posterior / injuries*
  • Cranial Fossa, Posterior / surgery
  • Cranial Nerve Diseases / etiology
  • Decompression, Surgical*
  • Deglutition Disorders / etiology
  • External Fixators
  • Female
  • Fractures, Comminuted / complications*
  • Fractures, Comminuted / rehabilitation
  • Fractures, Comminuted / surgery
  • Head Movements
  • Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial / etiology*
  • Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial / surgery
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Occipital Bone / injuries*
  • Occipital Bone / surgery
  • Paresis / etiology
  • Quadriplegia / etiology
  • Skull Fractures / complications*
  • Skull Fractures / rehabilitation
  • Skull Fractures / surgery
  • Spinal Cord Compression / etiology
  • Spinal Cord Compression / surgery