• Roman Guggenberger, Gustav Andreisek, Hans Scheffel, Simon Wildermuth, Sebastian Leschka, and Paul Stolzmann.
• University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. roman.guggenberger@usz.ch
• BMC Med Imaging. 2010 Jan 1; 10: 25.

BackgroundCongenital spinal abnormalities can easily be misdiagnosed on plain radiographs. Additional imaging is warranted in doubtful cases, especially in a setting of acute trauma.Case PresentationThis patient presented at the emergency unit of our university hospital after a motor vehicle accident and was sent to our radiology department for imaging of the cervical spine. Initial clinical examination and plain radiographs of the cervical spine were performed but not conclusive. Additional CT of the neck helped establish the right diagnosis.ConclusionCT as a three-dimensional imaging modality with the possibility of multiplanar reconstructions allows for the exact diagnosis and exclusion of acute traumatic lesions of the cervical spine, especially in cases of doubtful plain radiographs and when congenital spinal abnormalities like absent cervical spine pedicle with associated spina bifida may insinuate severe trauma.

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