MYELOPATHY DUE TO HYPOPLASIA OF THE ATLAS - A CASE-REPORT

The authors report a 73-year-old woman who had spinal cord compression develop because of hypoplasia of the atlas associated with a retroodo ntoid pseudotumor diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging, Radiographs of the cervical spine showed narrowing of the spinal canal at the lev el of the atlas and severe osteoarthrosis of the atlantoaxial joint wi thout atlantoaxial subluxation, A remarkable neurologic recovery follo wed decompressive laminectomy of the atlas with posterior occipitocerv ical fusion, Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging showed significa nt reduction of the retroodontoid pseudotumor by fusion alone, The mag netic resonance imaging finding of spontaneous reduction of retroodont oid pseudotumor after posterior fusion argues against a need for trans oral removal, which has a significant complication rate.