Fracture of the occipital condyle as an incidental finding during CT-evaluation of a maxillary fracture.

A 43-year-old male presented with blunt facial trauma after a motor-vehicle accident. CT-evaluation revealed a right-sided maxillary fracture and a fracture of the left occipital condyle. The fracture of the occipital condyle is potentially unstable and fatal cases have been described. Plain radiographs are not diagnostic. This occipital condyle fracture was an incidental finding during CT-evaluation of a maxillary fracture and is probably the first case with coronary CT scans of this type of fracture.