An Atraumatic Fracture of the Odontoid Process in a Newly Diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disorder which can affect all of the synovial joints including the cervical spine. Cervical involvement typically begins early in the disease process and shows relatively slow progression. Fractures of the odontoid process are mainly noted after a major trauma to the cervical spine. A case of a 77-year-old woman with paresthesia of the extremities caused by spontaneous atraumatic fracture of the odontoid process, which was revealed as a manifestation of RA, is presented in this report. (J Rheum Dis 2015;22:102-105)