Painful torticollis following adenotonsillectomy: a cardinal sign of atlantoaxial subluxation

An 11-year-old boy with a history of autism spectrum disorder attended the emergency department with his mother 8 days after an adenotonsillectomy reporting postoperative bleeding. Detailed physical examination revealed no active bleeding, but a rigid neck posture was noted. A head and neck CT scan demonstrated unilateral rotatory atlantoaxial subluxation and possible damage to the anterior spinal ligament. He was reviewed by neurosurgeons who performed manipulation under anaesthetic and successfully realigned the occipital cervical tract. Non-traumatic atlantoaxial subluxation (Grisel’s syndrome) is a rare but serious complication of routine ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures. An awareness of this complication among paediatricians, otolaryngologists and emergency physicians, and a high index of suspicion in any patient presenting with torticollis following ENT surgery is essential in preventing significant neurological morbidity.

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