Delayed diagnosis of a spontaneous atlanto-axial rotatory dislocation.

Without any known specific cause a 3-year-old boy developed a torticollis. Although the symptoms were treated immediately there was no improvement. Four months later X-rays showed that the dens-atlas distance was enlarged. In spite of this, he was treated by tenotomy and intensive physiotherapy, but the torticollis remained. Two years later a tomogram and a CT showed a complete rotatory dislocation between atlas and axis. At this stage it was impossible to treat the original cause. Physiotherapy was continued to improve the position of the head.