Transient sixth nerve palsies and torticollis secondary to parietal arteriovenous malformation

Different etiologies of acquired torticollis in childhood

INTRODUCTION

Torticollis can be congenital or may be acquired in childhood. Acquired torticollis occurs because of another problem and usually presents in previously normal children. The causes of acquired torticollis include ligamentous, muscular, osseous, ocular, psychiatric, and neurologic disorders.

OBJECTIVE

We performed this study to evaluate the underlying causes of torticollis in childhood.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ten children presented with complaints of torticollis between April 2007 and April 2012 were enrolled in this study. The additional findings of physical examination included neck pain, twisted neck, walking disorder, imbalance, and vomiting The identified etiologies of the enrolled children was acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in a 2.5-year-old boy, posterior fossa tumor in a 10-month-old boy, spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in a 5-year-old hemophiliac boy, cervical osteoblastoma in a 3-year-old boy, arachnoid cyst located at posterior fossa in a 16-month-old boy, aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery in a 6-year-old girl, pontine glioma in a 10-year-old girl, and a psychogenic torticollis in a 7-year-old boy were presented.

CONCLUSION

There is a wide differential diagnosis for a patient with torticollis, not just neurological in etiology which should be considered in any patient with acquired torticollis. Moreover, early diagnosis of etiological disease will reduce mortality and morbidity. Therefore, clinicians managing children with torticollis must be vigilant about underlying neurological complications.

Cervical eosinophilic granuloma and torticollis: a case report and review of the literature

Eosinophilic granuloma (EG) is a benign and solitary bony lesion of unknown etiology, which typically affects children: 90% of patients are between the ages of 5 and 15 years. EG, a variant of histiocytosis X, is a rare disease causing destructive bony lesions of the cervical spine in children. This report describes the case of a 5-year-old boy with torticollis who presented to the Emergency Department and was found to have EG of C6. He was successfully treated with anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion by using anterior plate and screws, with resolution of his symptoms.