Arcuate foramen

Case contributed by Tejas Ghoorah
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Severe persistent headache with neck pain for one week.

Patient Data

Age: 50 years
Gender: Male
x-ray

A complete arcuate foramen present. Also known as the foramen arcuale atlantis. Elongated styloid process.

Case Discussion

Incidental finding on this 50 year old man with neck pain. 

Patients with complete arcuate foramen have various significant complaints which may cause compression of the sympathetic plexus around the vertebral artery. The arcuate foramen is an underestimated structure and clinicians should be alerted to a possible arcuate foramen with patients complaining of vertigo, headache, shoulder-arm and neck pain 1.

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