PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - John H. Woodring
AU  - Albert C. Selke, Jr.
AU  - Denise E. Duff
TI  - Traumatic Atlantooccipital Dislocation with Survival
DP  - 1981 May 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 251--254
VI  - 2
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/2/3/251.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/2/3/251.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.1981 May 01; 2
AB  - Traumatic atlantooccipital dislocation is generally considered incompatible with life. However, there have been isolated survivals from this injury, and a few patients initially have minimal neurologic deficits disproportionate to the gravity of their injury, a feature that has not been adequately stressed. The potentially catastrophic results of delayed therapy make early radiographic detection imperative. Marked retropharyngeal soft-tissue swelling, an abnormal basion-odontoid alignment, and posterior displacement of the atlas are diagnostic of anterior atlantooccipital dislocation. In the more uncommon posterior atlantooccipital dislocation an abnormal basion-odontoid alignment associated with marked soft-tissue swelling should suggest the correct diagnosis. Conventional tomography can be confirmatory.