Myositis Ossificans Traumatica Secondary to Fracture of the Odontoid in a Five-Month-Old Infant: A Case Report.

Abstract

Traumatic injuries of the cervical spine are uncommon in children. When these injuries do occur, the upper cervical spine is more likely to be involved because children have a larger head size in proportion to the body, horizontally oriented facet joints, ligamentous laxity, and underdeveloped neck muscles1. Calcification of soft tissue is a well-known phenomenon that occurs in various pathologic conditions in broad clinical settings (e.g., genetic, posttraumatic, neurogenic, and postsurgical)2. The posttraumatic type, known as myositis ossificans traumatica (MOT), is one of the most common forms of heterotopic formation of a calcified mass in soft tissues, and most commonly appears in adolescents and young adults3. Although rare, it can also occur in children and usually involves muscles around the elbows and hips4,5. MOT in the upper cervical spine of young children is extremely rare. Recently, one case of MOT in an eight-year-old child was reported6; however, to the best of our knowledge, its occurrence in children under one year of age has not been reported. We present an unusual and unique case of a five-month-old infant who developed a massive calcification around the odontoid process with acute neck pain following minor trauma. The patient and her parents were informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and they provided consent. A previously healthy five-month-old girl was referred to our institution four days after the onset of acute, intense neck pain. The patient was unable to support her head, though she had begun to support it at the age of three months. One week prior to the onset of symptoms, she had fallen from a height of approximately 50 cm and hit her head with the neck extended. The patient did not have a fever …