Surgical management of high cervical disc prolapse associated with basilar invagination--two case reports

C3-4 cervical disc prolapse was associated with basilar invagination and short neck in a 21-year-old man and additionally with an extensive Klippel-Feil abnormality and fusion of multiple cervical vertebrae in a 32-year-old man. The transoral surgical route was adopted for cervical discectomy in the latter case and an additional odontoidectomy in the former case. Interbody plate and screw fixation was carried out in the patient with Klippel-Feil abnormality. Both the patients were relieved of symptoms and remained asymptomatic at follow up. Simultaneous fixation procedure is not mandatory after transoral surgery in patients with basilar invagination.