Study design: A case report and review of literature.
Objective: To present a rare case of os odontoideum complicating craniovertebral junction (CVJ) tuberculosis (TB) and discuss the treatment outcome.
Summary of background data: CVJ is a rare site of predilection for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The treatment protocol for this entity has periodically undergone swings between conservative treatment and radical surgery. To the best of our knowledge, os odontoideum complicating TB of this region has not been reported before in the literature.
Methods: We report on a 17-year-old patient with CVJ TB in setting of dystopic os odontoideum. The patient presented with fever, cervical pain and weakness of all the four limbs, and was treated with antitubercular chemotherapy along with cervical traction, followed by halo-vest.
Results: Patient made uneventful recovery with conservative form of treatment and was asymptomatic at 36 months of follow-up.
Conclusion: This case has the originality of being the first report of CVJ TB with dystopic os odontoideum. High index of suspicion by the clinician must be practiced to make the appropriate diagnosis.