Crowned Dens Syndrome as a cause of acute neck pain: a Case Report and Review of the Literature

Crowned dens syndrome (CDS) is a rare clinical entity characterized by acute neck pain due to calcification around the odontoid process of the axis in "crown-like" configuration. Crystalline deposition in cervical vertebrae is less well known disease entity and only a limited number of cases have been reported to date. I here present a case of 79-year- old woman who developed acute severe neck pain and stiffness. Cervical computed tomography (CT) scan detected periodontoid calcification and a diagnosis of Crowned dens syndrome was made. Crowned dens syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute neck pain, particularly in old age patients.