Traumatic craniocervical junction ligamentous and brain stem injuries and retroclival hematoma: unusual combination of craniocervical junction injuries

Abstract

Cervical spine injuries are common in pediatric population and usually seen in craniocervical junction due to the anatomical and physiological differences. Combination of rapid hyperextension/hyperflexion traumas due to highspeed motor vehicle accident are known to be the reason of ligamentous injury and retroclival epidural hematoma. Our aim is to describe a rare combination injury of the the apical ligament, retroclival epidural hematoma and the suspicion of brain stem slits, due to rapid hyperextension/hyperflexion and rotational trauma with high-speed motor vehicle accident in a 3 year 8 month old girl. The cervical spine was immobilized with a Philadelphia collar. She is still under treatment in the pediatric intensive care unit with a Glascow Coma Scale of 8 for six months.