Occult occipital condyle fractures presenting as tumors

Occipital condyle fractures can be easily overlooked on plain radiographic examinations of the head and cervical spine. This is especially true if such a fracture is not clinically suspected, since they are very rare fractures. Two patients presented with suspected tumors of the foramen magnum region. Both had old trauma and undiagnosed old fractures of the occipital condyle.