Journal List > J Korean Soc Radiol > v.65(1) > 1087060

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Lee, Lee, Joo, Ryu, and Kim: Atlantoaxial Ankylosis Detected on Neck CT Scans in a Patient with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Case Report
Musculoskeletal Radiology
Case Report

Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology 2011; 65(1): 85-87.

Published online: 31 July 2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2011.65.1.85

Atlantoaxial Ankylosis Detected on Neck CT Scans in a Patient with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Case Report

Jeong Ah Lee, MD1, Seunghun Lee, MD1, Kyung Bin Joo, MD1, Jeong Ah Ryu, MD2, Tae Hwan Kim, MD3

1Department of Radiology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

2Department of Radiology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Guri Hospital, Guri, Korea.

3Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author: Seunghun Lee, MD. Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Hospital, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-792, Korea. Tel. 82-2-2290-9163, Fax. 82-2-2293-2111, radsh@medimail.co.kr

Received 6 April 2011       Accepted 23 May 2011

Copyright © 2011 The Korean Society of Radiology

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of unknown cause that principally affects the axial skeleton. The cervical spine is also vulnerable to this disease process and the characteristic feature of cervical involvement is atlantoaxial subluxation. However, only a few cases of atlantoaxial ankylosis have been reported to date. We report a case of atlantoaxial ankylosis in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis with radiologic findings incidentally detected on neck CT scans.

Keywords: Spondylitis, Ankylosing, Ankylosis, Atlanto-Axial Joint

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

A. A lateral radiograph of the cervical spine with full flexion showed bony ankylosis of the atlantoaxial joint space (arrows).

B, C. An axial CT scan (B) and a midsaggital multiplanar reformatted CT image (C) revealed that the synovial joint space was filled with dense ossified substance (arrows). The distance between posterior margin of the anterior arch of atlas and anterior margin of the odontoid was 2 mm.
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