Occult injury of the pediatric craniocervical junction

The objective of this study is to review the occurrence of occult craniocervical junction injury in children. All patients <18 years of age with negative CT of the craniocervical junction and subsequent MRI between July 2003 and June 2008 were included. Age, gender, mechanism of injury, and presence of injuries below C2 were tabulated. Of the forty-five patients with negative CT of the craniocervical junction, 30 had positive MRI findings at the craniocervical junction. Seventeen of the 30 patients fulfilled criteria for significant craniocervical junction injury by MRI. Eleven of 17 patients with significant craniocervical junction injury were less than 8 years old and 13 of 17 were involved in motor vehicle accidents. Six of 12 patients with injury below C2 had significant craniocervical injury. Pediatric craniocervical injuries are often not evident on radiographic or CT imaging but present on MR imaging. Craniocervical injury is most common in younger age groups and is associated with motor vehicle accidents and injuries of the lower cervical spine.