Mohammad Ashraf, Umar Farooq, Naveed Chawla.
Congenital Agenesis of the Posterior Arch of the Atlas- A case report and review of the literature.
Pak J Surg Jan ;30(1):106-8.

Congenital absence of the posterior arch of the Atlas (C1), a developmental failure of chondrogenesis, is a rare but well documented anomaly. It may range from partial cleft to total agenesis of the posterior arch. This condition is usually asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally but sometimes may present with neurological signs and symptoms following head and neck trauma. Our aim to present this unique case of complete agenesis of the posterior arch of the Atlas (C1) is to highlight its importance for the clinicians to be aware of such rare congenital anomaly as it may be associated with vertebral instability and cord compression, and may possibly require surgical intervention.

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