[Occipital condyle fractures: a case report].

Occipital condyle fractures are rare, and conservative treatment is sufficient for many cases. Surgical treatment may be required if the condyle fracture is accompanied by atlantooccipital dislocation. Unfortunately, condyle fracture generally cannot be diagnosed with X-ray in the emergency department. Recently, computed tomography scans have been used more frequently, and enable easier diagnosis of these types of fractures. In this report, we describe a patient who admitted to our emergency department after a major trauma. She complained of neck pain, and maxillofacial trauma was more evident. Her cervical X-rays were normal, but cervical computed tomography revealed unilateral occipital condyle fracture.