Cervical Myelopathy From Pseudogout: A Rare Case of Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition (CPPD), or pseudogout, typically affects joints like the knee and shoulder but can also deposit in spinal structures, sometimes leading to myeloradiculopathy with severe neck pain and upper limb weakness. Mild cases are managed with anti-inflammatory drugs, while severe cases require surgical decompression. We report a rare case of pseudogout causing cervical spine myelopathy at the C1-2 level, discovered during spine surgery and confirmed by pathology. After removing the deposits, the patient showed significant improvement, emphasizing the need to consider pseudogout in cases of acute neck pain with neurological symptoms.