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Acquired progressive hypotonia in infancy: consider compressive cervical myelopathy
Author(s) -
Verbeek INE,
Vollebregt A,
Halbertsma FJ,
van Lindert E,
Andriessen P
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2011.02207.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hypotonia , myelopathy , asymptomatic , magnetic resonance imaging , laminectomy , spinal cord compression , surgery , pediatrics , radiology , spinal cord , psychiatry
This case report presents a rare cause of progressive hypotonia due to a congenital bony defect of the atlas in a 2‐month‐old girl. The patient was initially referred to the paediatric department with feeding problems. Within days after admission she developed progressive hypotonia and showed decreased reflexes of the upper extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging showed compressive myelopathy at the level of vertebra C1. After laminectomy of the C1‐vertebra the neurological symptoms resolved. Conclusion: Most anomalies of the vertebras are asymptomatic. Only symptomatic anomalies with compression and neurological symptoms need surgery.