A case of combined congenital anterior and posterior arch anomaly of C1 vertebra

Abstract

A very rare case of the craniovertebral junction (CVJ) anomaly isreported owing to its rarity and clinical significance. Computedtomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studiesof the cervical spine of a 56 -year-old female patient presented withhead trauma, revealed an anterior midline arch cleft of atlas withtotally aplastic posterior neural arch, as well as anteriorly subluxedright atlantoaxial joint. The coexistence of a total aplasia of theposterior neural arch and anterior arch cleft of atlas is very rare.Congenital anomalies affecting the craniovertebral junction (CVJ)may mimic traumatic injury in the setting of a previous trauma. Inthis presented case, the absence of an associated bone and soft-tissueedema on the MR imagings helped us to make a differention betweenthe acute traumatic injury and congenital anomaly