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. 2014 Mar;11(1):15-7.
doi: 10.14245/kjs.2014.11.1.15. Epub 2014 Mar 31.

Crowned dens syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

Gwang Soo Lee  1 , Ra Sun Kim  1 , Hyung Ki Park  1 , Jae Chil Chang  1
Affiliations

Crowned dens syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

Gwang Soo Lee et al. Korean J Spine. 2014 Mar.

Abstract

The crowned dens syndrome (CDS), also known as periodontoid calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate crystal deposition disease, is typified clinically by severe cervical pain, neck stiffness and atlantoaxial synovial calcification which could be misdiagnosed as meningitis, epidural abscess, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cervical spondylitis or metastatic spinal tumor. Crystalline deposition on cervical vertebrae is less well known disease entity and only a limited number of cases have been reported to date. Authors report a case of CDS and describe the clinical feature.

Keywords: Axis; Calcium pyrophosphate; Computed tomography; Neck pain.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Open mouth view demonstrates radio-opaque lesion beside the odontoid process (arrow) (A). Open mouth view checked in one month reveals pre-existing radio-opaque lesion disappeared (B).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Coronal CT scan at C1/2 level demonstrates atlantoaxial synovial calcifications in a crown- or halo-like distribution around the odontoid process (A). Axial CT scan shows calcified lesion on the right side of periodontoid space and subchondral erosion (B).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Sagittal (A) and axial (B) T1 enhanced magnetic resonance image reveal non-enhancing, non-invasive mass like lesion around the odontoid process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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