Pediatric basilar invagination: Unveiling a rare complication of inflammatory bowel disease unclassified

Abstract

This case report details the presentation of an 8-year-old boy with atlantoaxial rotatory dislocation (AARD) and basilar invagination (BI), an exceedingly rare complication of inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU). Basilar invagination, an anomaly of the craniovertebral junction, results in the odontoid protruding into the foramen magnum. It may be associated with concurrent abnormalities such as atlantoaxial dislocation, Chiari malformation, atlas occipitalization, Klippel-Feil syndrome, atlanto-occipital hypoplasia, among others. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first documented case reporting basilar invagination as a life-threatening complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children.