Misdiagnosis of Central Motor Dysfunction in a Child with Craniovertebral Junction Anomaly-A Case Report

Abstract

Congenital anomalies of the Craniovertebral Junction (CVJ), though clinically significant, have often been misdiagnosed especially in the paediatric age group. Timely diagnosis and interventions can improve clinical outcome and prevent complications. Better understanding of the regional anatomy and pathophysiology of anomalies along with a strong clinical suspicion, accurate examination of clinical signs and better clinical correlation can aid in early diagnosis. We illustrate the above by exploring the clinical scenario of an 11-year-old female child with multiple CVJ anomalies resulting in spastic qaudriparesis and thereby, discuss what could have prevented the delay in diagnosis.

Keywords

• motor milestones
• perinatal asphyxia
• spastic quadriparesis