Grisel's syndrome associated with mumps: A case report

Yanrong Shen; Lixia Yang; Xiaoliang Liu; Yawen Xie; Xiaohui Dai; Chuan Wang

doi:10.3389/fped.2022.916538

Grisel's syndrome associated with mumps: A case report

Front Pediatr. 2022 Sep 29:10:916538. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.916538. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yanrong Shen^{1

2}, Lixia Yang^{2

3

4}, Xiaoliang Liu^{1

2

4

5}, Yawen Xie², Xiaohui Dai⁶, Chuan Wang^{1

2

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatric Cardiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
² West China Medical School of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
³ The Cardiac Development and Early Intervention Unit, West China Institute of Women and Children's Health, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education Chengdu, Chengdu, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Development and Diseases of Women and Children of Sichuan Province, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
⁶ Department of Ultrasonography, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Abstract

Grisel's syndrome (GS) is defined as atlantoaxial rotatory subluxation/fixation not associated with trauma or bone disease, usually following head and neck infection/inflammation or ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery. Many conditions could lead to Grisel's syndrome, of which mumps is rarely to be seen. This report discusses a case of GS in children with Type I atlantoaxial joint subluxation and previously diagnosed mumps. A 6-year-old boy who had cervical pain and torticollis for 2 weeks was admitted to our hospital. There was no trauma and he had not had ENT surgery but was diagnosed with mumps 2 weeks previously due to swelling of the left cheek and cervical lymph node. Physical examination and computed tomography confirmed a diagnosis of Grisel's syndrome with an ADI (atlanto-dens interval) of 1.6 mm. The patient then received occipito-mandibular traction for 6 days and recovered. No recurrence was observed at 1 year follow-up. Physicians should raise awareness of this rare complication of mumps to avoid life-threatening neurological impairments owing to Grisel's syndrome.

Keywords: Grisel's syndrome; atlanto-axial subluxation; case report; etiology; mumps.

Publication types

Case Reports