CT appearance of congenital defect resembling the Hangman's fracture

Purpose. Congenital defects of C2 are rare and can be confused with Hangman 's fractures. CT has been advocated as aiding in differentiation between an acute fracture and congenital defects. Methods. We present a case of a 2-year-old recent accident victim, who was erroneously diagnosed by plain film and CT as having a Hangman's fracture. Results. The CT demonstrated an atypical appearance of a congenital defect. Conclusion, This case shows that the radiographic differentiation between a Hangman's fracture and a congenital defect is more difficult than previous ly described.