Spastic quadriparesis due to pathological fracture of odontoid secondary to carcinoma prostate: A rare presentation

• Main Authors: Maneet Gill, M N Swamy, Vikas Maheshwari, T S Lingaraju, Aishik Mukherjee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2017-01-01
• Series: Journal of Craniovertebral Junction and Spine
• Subjects: Atlantoaxial metastasis; carcinoma prostate; pathological fracture odontoid; quadriparesis
• Online Access: http://www.jcvjs.com/article.asp?issn=0974-8237;year=2017;volume=8;issue=2;spage=153;epage=155;aulast=Gill

Prostate carcinoma presenting as symptomatic metastases to atlantoaxial spine is extremely rare. Spastic quadriparesis due to pathological fracture of odontoid as the only initial manifestation without symptoms of primary malignancy is rarer still. We report a 64-year-old male who presented with progressive spastic quadriparesis along with urinary retention of 3 weeks duration. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging cervical spine and craniovertebral junction showed type III pathological fracture of odontoid with anterior translation of C1 with spinal cord compression. Biopsy from an enlarged prostate showed adenocarcinoma of prostate. The patient was managed conservatively from neurological aspect as he refused for any surgical intervention.