Post-traumatic retroclival epidural hematoma with atlantoaxial dislocation: A rare case report and review of literature

Abstract

Retroclival epidural hematoma (REDH) is a rare entity. Only 44 cases of REDH are reported in available literature so far. Most of the cases of REDH are post traumatic and occur in the pediatric age group. Some of the cases reported in the literature are associated with atlanto occipital dislocation, however the co-occurrence of REDH and atlantoaxial dislocation is extremely rare, and only two cases have been reported so far. We report a case of REDH with AAD (atlantoaxial dislocation) in 10 years-old-male child, who presented on the same day of injury with quadriparesis and pain in suboccipital region after a road traffic accident. The patient recovered well with conservative management. The aim of reporting this case is to emphasize the need of repeat MRI/CT scan of CV JUNCTION in cases (especially in pediatric age group) not showing any abnormality in the initial cervical or cranial CT scans in patients presenting with quadriparesis. The available literature is also reviewed in detail.