Cervical spine hangman fracture secondary to a gelastic seizure

Abstract

A 42-year-old man reported to our service with a 1-week history of vague cervical neck pain on a background history of a gelastic seizure disorder. Radiological imaging confirmed a type II hangman’s fracture through the C2 pedicle. A CT angiogram of carotid and vertebral arteries was normal, and the patient was managed with an occipitocervical fusion. The patient had no neurological insult and was discharged on day 5 with a Miami-J collar for 6 weeks. Although there are case report evidence of lumbar and thoracic vertebral fractures secondary to seizures, this is the first report of a spine injury resulting from a gelastic seizure.