Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29496687›Full record

ArticleBMJ case reports2018

Painful torticollis following adenotonsillectomy: a cardinal sign of atlantoaxial subluxation.

Benjamin John Miller, Raj Lakhani, Arif Rashid, Philipa Tostevin

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ case reports, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. [Standardized treatment technology for pediatric tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy with low-temperature coblation].Lin chuang er bi yan hou tou jing wai ke za zhi = Journal of clinical otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery · 2025
    Article
  2. Review
  3. Endoscopic adenoidectomy: a systematic analysis of outcomes and complications in 1006 patients.Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale · 2020
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Benjamin John MillerDepartment of Otolaryngology, St Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
Raj LakhaniDepartment of Otolaryngology, St George's Hospital, London, UK.
Arif RashidOral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, UK.
Philipa TostevinDepartment of Otolaryngology, St George's Hospital, London, UK.
St George's Hospital · GBRoyal Marsden Hospital · GBSt. Mary's Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

An 11-year-old boy with a history of autism spectrum disorder attended the emergency department with his mother 8 days after an adenotonsillectomy reporting postoperative bleeding. Detailed physical examination revealed no active bleeding, but a rigid neck posture was noted. A head and neck CT scan demonstrated unilateral rotatory atlantoaxial subluxation and possible damage to the anterior spinal ligament. He was reviewed by neurosurgeons who performed manipulation under anaesthetic and successfully realigned the occipital cervical tract. Non-traumatic atlantoaxial subluxation (Grisel's syndrome) is a rare but serious complication of routine ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures. An awareness of this complication among paediatricians, otolaryngologists and emergency physicians, and a high index of suspicion in any patient presenting with torticollis following ENT surgery is essential in preventing significant neurological morbidity.

Indexed as

AdenoidectomyAtlanto-Axial JointChildHumansJoint DislocationsMalePostoperative PainTomography, X-Ray ComputedTonsillectomyTorticollisear, nose and throat/otolaryngologyemergency medicinehead and neck surgeryneurosurgerypaediatrics

Identifiers

PMID29496687
PMCPMC5847852
OpenAlexW2790901696

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.