Background: Crowned dens syndrome is characterized by calcium pyrophosphate or hydroxyapatite deposition in the ligaments around the odontoid process. It is an under-recognized cause of acute neck pain in older adults and is associated with dens fractures. Acute flares can be mistaken for meningitis or cervical spondylitis.
Aims: To determine the prevalence of periodontoid calcification in CT scans of the cervical spine in patients who present to Wollongong Hospital with acute neck pain
Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of adult patients who presented to Wollongong Hospital ED with neck pain between a six-month period from January to June 2023. Patients over the age of 50 were included if they either had a presenting problem of ‘Pain, neck’ OR an ICD code for ‘Fracture of neck, part unspecified’. Information including age, sex, relevant comorbidities (such as pre-existing CPPD, thyroid or parathyroid disease), and characteristics of neck pain were collected. Final diagnoses and treatment details were noted. CT scans and other relevant radiographs were reviewed for presence and grade of periodontoid calcification and associated fractures.
Results: to follow.
Conclusion: to follow.