Reversible cortical blindness as a complication of rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine

A case is presented in which a patient with rheumatoid damage to the cervical spine causing cervical cord and vertebral artery compression sustained transient cortical blindness with a partial left hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed anterior subluxation of middle cervical vertebrae, separation of the odontoid peg with resultant atlantoaxial subluxation, and proliferative pannus formation. The patient was almost symptom-free after transoral decompression and posterior cervical fusion.