J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.9.3.84 on 1 July 1946. Downloaded from PAGET'S I)ISEASE OF ATLAS AND AXIS BY NORMAN WHALLEY From the Neurosurgical Unit, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (RECEIVED 18TH JULY, 1946) ALTHOUGH Paget's disease of bone commonly ankle jerks. Both plantar responses were extensor in affects the vertebral column, it is rare for it to result type; (f) there was a fairly well-defined sensory level one in interference with spinal cord function. In an inch below the clavicles which extended laterally to extensive search of the literature on the subject of involve both arms and hands. Below this level there was spinal cord complications marked sensory impairment to cotton wool, pin-prick, secondary to osteitis and temperature tests. General clinical examination deformans, I have been unable to find any previously revealed enlargement of the heart and a blood pressure recorded instance of the disease affecting the atlas of 182/70. There was no clinical evidence of a primary and axis vertebra and causing spinal cord com- neoplasm, and rectal examination showed no abnor- pression. In the case described below, not only had mality. The blood Wassermann reaction was negative. the disease process produced cord compression, but Lumbar puncture was not attempted owing to the patient's it had' also resulted in spontaneous forward dis- extremely grave condition. location of the head on the cervical spine. Radiological Examination.-Cervical spine studies showed loss of definition of the normal contours of the atlas and axis. These appeared to have been replaced byProtected by copyright. Case Report a mass of new bone. This new bone involved the J. H., a male aged 66 years, was admitted on July anterior and posterior arches of the atlas,,the body, 12, 1943, to the Neurosurgical Unit of the General odontoid process, laminE, and spinous process of the Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, under the care of Mr. axis. All these parts were fused into one bony mass, G. F. Rowbotham. His illness had begun in February, through the centre of which the narrowed spinal canaf 1938, when he experienced pain in the back of the neck could be clearly seen (Fig. 1). The rest of the cervical and head. By January, 1941, he had developed a vertebree showed loss of normal density. Radiographs kyphosis in the upper cervical region associated with of the dorsal spine showed advanced osteo-arthritis but pains in both arms. He had been treated elsewhere by no other distinctive changes. In the radiographs of the extension and application of a plaster-of-Paris collar. lumbar spine the characteristic appearance of osteitis About this time he noticed that every time he coughed or deformans was seen in the third lumbar vertebra. The sneezed his left hand became numb. A short time after right clavicle, left os calcis, and both tibie showed the this he developed numbness and weakness of the right characteristic appearance of Paget's disease. Radio- hand. In July, 1941, he had a fall and fractured the graphs of the skull showed early Paget's disease, but also right clavicle; shortly after this his legs gradually became it was seen that the skull was dislocated anteriorly on the weak and he had increasing difficulty in getting about. atlas and axis. Although the radiograph was not a true http://jnnp.bmj.com/ In the few months before admission he had developed lateral, it was apparent that the skull had slid forward progressive weakness and numbness of both arms and on the upper cervical mass. The outline of the altered hands, and had experienced difficulty of micturition odontoid process could be made out, and the tip was in necessitating intermittent catheterization. line with the posterior margin of the foramen magnum. On admission he was thin and emaciated. He lay Although there were frank changes of Paget's disease in with his head flexed forward and with both arms flexed other bones, the radiological appearances of the atlas across his chest. On palpation in the upper cervical and axis were so unusual that it was considered unjusti- region a hard bony mass could be felt. It was quite fiable to label the condition in the neck osteitis deformans. immobile and appeared to be part of the vertebral Accordingly the following conditions were considered in on September 26, 2021 by guest. column. Flexion and extension ofthe neck were markedly the differential diagnosis, (a) an atypical form of tuber- restricted. Rotatory movements of the head to right or culosis of the atlas and axis, (b) osteosclerotic metastatic left were impossible. There was well marked anterior carcinoma, and (c) Paget's disease of bone (osteitis bowing of both tibiae. He had a persistent cough and deformans). Generalized fibrocystic disease due to a sweated profusely. On neurological examination the parathyroid adenoma wa-s excluded because the bony positive findings were as follows: (a) weakness of all the changes observed were ilot generalized, many bones neck muscles ; (b) weakness and spasticity of both arms. having the normal radiological appearance (Brailsford, Both hand grips were extremely poor. The deep tendon 1944). reflexes in the arms were exaggerated ; (c) the inter- As the man was so ill further investigations were not costal muscles were paralysed and his respiration was performed and he was discharged to his home. Shortly diaphragmatic in type; (d) all the trunk musculature was afterwards he died, and we were able to secure the post- paralysed. The superficial abdominal reflexes were mortem specimen ofcervical vertebre for detailed exami- absent; (e) there was complete paralysis of both legs, nation. The cervical vertebre were removed in one which were extremely spastic with exaggerated knee and piece. A thorough search was made for a primary 84 PAGET'S DISEASE OF ATLAS AND AXIS 85 J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.9.3.84 on 1 July 1946. Downloaded from neoplasm, but none was found. The skull was not their neurological disorder and not because of the opened, as permission for this was not given. The symptoms normally associated with the disease. specimen was forwarded to Prof. A. F. Bernard Shaw of Indeed, the neurological symptoms often antedate the University of Durham, who made a detailed exami- the typical clinical appearance of subjects suffering nation and reported as follows: " The material appears from this disorder. This is so in the case under to consist of the atlas and axis vertebrae and possibly one consideration. It is also of interest that this or two of the cervical vertebre. The odontoid process is not present in the specimen, but in the atlas and axis patient fractured his right clavicle two years before there is considerable thickening of all the component admission ; it showed the typical radiological parts of each vertebre, so that the vertebral canal is appearance of the disease two years later. The decreased in the antero-posterior and lateral diameters other clavicle was normal. This fracture is no and the centrum lightly embraces the spinal cord (Fig. 2). doubt a pathological fracture such as commonly On section of the bone, the centrum does show a definite occurs in osteitis deformans. sclerosis, so that the medullary spaces are apparent in Cord involvement in Paget's disease may occur in only a few places. The centra are spongy and cut easily three ways. Firstly, by gradual bony overgrowth with the knife. the vertebral bodies and neural arches, so that was as follows: of Histology.-The histological report Here the "In the centra there is an increase in the number of bone the spinal canal becomes reduced in size. lamellx of irregular form and size, in which the Haversian signs are those of a steadily progressive interference systems have largely disappeared. The lamelle show a with spinal cord function. Secondly, by interference mosaic structure due to the quite irregular formation of with the blood supply of the cord, resulting in appositional new b3ne from the fibrous marrow. At the ischemia. Arteriosclerosis is common in Paget's same time osteoclastic absorption of bone is in progress. disease. The reported cases of this nature were The medullary spaces are occupied by a fibrillary tissue, characterized by sudden onset of paraplegia. and only in a few areas do fatty and hlmopoietic marrow Thirdly, by vertebral displacement. Again the persist. The neural arches show the same change, and onset is sudden, and, in the case reported by Garcin, the appearances are those of Paget's osteitis deformans. Spinal cord: Pal Weigert's stain shows demyelinization Varay, and Dimo (1937), improvement followed an more on one initial quadriplegia due to collapse and backward of both crossed pyramidal tracts, marked Protected by copyright. side than the other, and to a less extent, the tracts of displacement of the fourth cervical vertebra. There Goll and Burdach." was no indication of subarachnoid block on mano- metric tests in their case. The first group is by far Discussion the commonest, and in this type of case the only In this case the main clinical problem was the patho- prospect of alleviation of the condition is the per- logical nature of the bony swelling in the upper formance of a decompressive laminectomy. In the cervical region, and it was not until radiological few cases in which this operation has been carried studies of other bones were made that the possi- out the results have been very encouraging. bility of the underlying lesion being osteitis defor- Apart from trauma, dislocations at the occipito- mans was suspected. Even then the final verdict atlantal-axial system of joints are uncommon. was dependent upon post-mortem and histological Englander (1942) has recently described a case of examination.