Lower Cranial Nerve Palsy Following Occipital Condylar Fracture

Abstract Lower cranial nerve palsy is a rare condition, and various causes attributed are malignant skull base lesions, internal carotid dissection, and rarely caused by trauma. We report a case of a road traffic accident presenting as lower cranial nerve palsy. The patient was drowsy with a Glasgow Coma Scale of E4V5M6 and showed signs of IX, X, and XI cranial nerve palsy. The most important findings in our case report were a dislocated occipital condyle fracture and suspected soft-tissue injury. The patient was managed conservatively with a hard cervical collar and was admitted for a few days with a nasogastric tube for feeding. Gradually, she started showing improvement in her symptoms. These injuries with subtle clinical symptoms may be overlooked and need prompt attention to avoid the complications.