[Atlanto-occipital luxation and syringomyelia: 2 rare complications of cervical injury. Diagnostic and therapeutic effects. Apropos of a case]. / Luxation occipito-atloïdienne et syringomyélie: deux complications rares de la traumatologie cervicale. Incidences diagnostiques et thérapeutiques. A propos d'un cas.

The authors report the case of a 19 years old patient with an undiagnosed traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation complicated after two years by a rapidly evolutive syringomyelia. This clinical case which associates two rare complications of cervical traumatology allows to discuss the problems of both pathologies especially on the following points: --The early diagnosis of the dislocation by tomography and CT scan is the only mean to treat totally these lesions and perhaps to avoid the complications like syringomyelia. --In case of delayed diagnosis, when the dislocation is "fixed" the complete decompressive surgery both by a posterior and a trans-oral way is for the authors the treatment of choice.