Fused cervical vertebrae: a coincidental finding in a lateral cephalogram taken for orthodontic diagnostic purposes

Abstract

Lateral cephalograms are of utmost importance in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. Usually, the orthodontist focuses only on the facial skeleton and thereby overlooks the cervical spine area, which otherwise would have benefited patients with cervical spine anomalies, especially those with clinical symptoms. An average built adolescent reported for orthodontic correction of forwardly placed teeth. The diagnostic lateral cephalogram showed a class II skeletal pattern and increased overjet. Coincidentally, in this otherwise asymptomatic patient, fused cervical vertebrae (FCV) was noticed involving the C2–C3 vertebrae (figures 1 and 2). The patient gave no attributable history of trauma or infection. Figure 1 Lateral cephalogram of the patient showing the fusion of C2 and C3 vertebrae. Figure 2 Fused C2 and C3 vertebrae. FCV, also known as block vertebra may be congenital (chorda dorsalis) …