A neonate with an anomalous bone attached to the cervical spine.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: A digit/rib-like ectopic bone is a rare congenital anomaly that is most commonly seen in the thorax or pelvis. There is a single report of an adult possessing a phalanx-like bone in the cervical region; however, whether the abnormal bone was congenital or acquired remains elusive.

PURPOSE: To elucidate that a phalanx-like bone in the cervical region represents a congenital anomaly.

STUDY

DESIGN

Case report.

METHODS

Report of the imaging findings in a neonate with a palpable bone projection in the posterior neck.

RESULTS

Plain radiographs demonstrated an ectopic bone posterior to the spinous process of the C5 vertebra. Three-dimensional computed tomography demonstrated that the anomalous bone was attached to the left lamina of the C5 vertebra and that there was abnormal segmentation of the left side of the cervical spine.

CONCLUSIONS

The anomalous bone in the neck is a congenital malformation that is accompanied by the maldevelopment of the cervical spine.