Paracondylar process, a rare normal variant: the value of MRI in the diagnosis

The paracondylar process is a rare osseous process arising at the cervicooccipital region that belongs to a large and heterogenic group of developmental abnormalities of the craniovertebral junction. We present a rare case of a paracondylar process in an 11-year-old girl, in which the diagnosis was made with the use of MRI, thereby skipping X-ray and CT scan, thus avoiding exposure of the young patient to radiation. To our knowledge, the use of MRI has not previously been reported in the investigation and diagnosis of such an abnormality. We describe the details of this variation emphasizing on awareness of this process, its anatomic relationships and its problems to clinicians, radiologists, surgeons and chiropractors.