Fracture of the odontoid process complicating tardive dystonia.

We report on a 57-year-old woman with frequent and powerful retrocollis. The involuntary movements combined with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis led to a fracture of the axial odontoid process. Neurologists with a focus on movement disorders should screen for diseases putting the patient at risk for spinal lesions and consider early treatment. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]