Total fusion of atlas with occipital bone: A case report

Atlas is the first cervical vertebra. It does not have a body like other cervical vertebrae. It forms ellipsoidal synovial joints with the condyles of the occipital bone. Rarely, it gets occipitalized, where the condyles of the occipital bone fuse with the lateral masses of the atlas vertebra. In this article, a total fusion of the atlas vertebra has been reported and the knowledge of such a fusion may be of importance for radiologists, anesthesiologists, orthopedic and neurosurgeons because skeletal abnormalities at the craniocervical junction may result in sudden unexpected death. It can result in dysphagia, disarthria or torticollis because of compression of cranial nerves.