[Lysis of the odontoid process in rheumatoid polyarthritis]

The authors report 9 cases of partial or total lysis of the odontoid peg in rheumatoid arthritis. Retrospective study of 100 cases of rheumatoid arthritis and the data from the literature demonstrate the rarity of these lesions, the last stage of the odontoid erosions which are much commoner. The therapeutic approach is usually nuero-surgical.