{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T23:27:18Z","timestamp":1791329238681,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":9,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"1","funder":[{"name":"Gansu Provincial Youth Science and Technology Fund Program","award":["22JR11RA077"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["22JR11RA077"]}]},{"name":"Education and Teaching Reform Project of Lanzhou University","award":["2022-11"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022-11"]}]},{"name":"Education Development Fund of Lanzhou University and Gansu Province Higher Education Innovation Fund","award":["2021B-014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021B-014"]}]},{"name":"Lanzhou University Education Fund","award":["2021-01"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021-01"]}]},{"name":"2019 Hospital Fund of The First Hospital of Lanzhou University","award":["ldyyyn2019-53"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ldyyyn2019-53"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Case Rep"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,9]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Klippel-Feil syndrome (KFS) is a rare congenital disorder characterised by the fusion of the cervical vertebrae. We report the case of an early adolescent patient who presented with acute dizziness, vomiting, slurred speech and left-sided hemiparesis following neck movements. Imaging revealed craniocervical anomalies (including atlanto-occipital assimilation and C2\u2013C3 fusion) and severe vertebrobasilar artery stenosis\/occlusion, which led to acute ischaemic infarcts in the cerebellum and pons. Notably, the patient lacked the classical short-neck phenotype. The patient was diagnosed with KFS and a posterior circulation stroke. The patient showed significant improvement with antiplatelet therapy, anticoagulation and rehabilitation. This case underscores the fact that KFS can present with life-threatening stroke even in the absence of typical clinical features, highlighting the importance of early imaging and a multidisciplinary approach.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2025-270875","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T12:45:27Z","timestamp":1769517927000},"page":"e270875","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Klippel-Feil syndrome presenting as posterior circulation stroke in a paediatric patient"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Xing-Chuan","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Song","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lanzhou University First Affiliated Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiao-Yan","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yan","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026012704452094000_19.1.e270875.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1186\/s13013-016-0075-x","article-title":"\u201cClinical triad\u201d findings in pediatric Klippel-Feil patients","volume":"11","author":"Samartzis","year":"2016","journal-title":"Scoliosis Spinal Disord"},{"key":"2026012704452094000_19.1.e270875.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fsurg.2022.885989","article-title":"Prevalence and Risk Factors of Surgical Treatment for Klippel-Feil Syndrome","volume":"9","author":"Ding","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Surg"},{"key":"2026012704452094000_19.1.e270875.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1097\/GOX.0000000000003760","article-title":"Atlantoaxial Rotatory Fixation after Microtia Reconstruction Surgery","volume":"9","author":"Takada","year":"2021","journal-title":"Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open"},{"key":"2026012704452094000_19.1.e270875.4","article-title":"The Course of the V2 Segment of the Vertebral Arteries in Klippel-Feil Syndrome: A Case Report","volume":"10","author":"Rizvi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"2026012704452094000_19.1.e270875.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.3889\/oamjms.2015.022","article-title":"Klippel - Feil Syndrome Associated with Congential Heart Disease Presentaion of Cases and a Review of the Curent Literature","volume":"3","author":"Bejiqi","year":"2015","journal-title":"Open Access Maced J Med Sci"},{"key":"2026012704452094000_19.1.e270875.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3993","DOI":"10.1007\/s10072-025-08157-z","article-title":"Short neck as a cause of stroke? Bilateral vertebral artery dissection in a patient with Klippel-Feil Syndrome","volume":"46","author":"Del Pino Tejado","year":"2025","journal-title":"Neurol Sci"},{"key":"2026012704452094000_19.1.e270875.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000008647","article-title":"Lateral medullary infarction with similar features of Brown Sequard syndrome caused by vertebrobasilar dysplasia and Klippel-Feil syndrome: A case report","volume":"96","author":"Han","year":"2017","journal-title":"Medicine (Baltimore)"},{"key":"2026012704452094000_19.1.e270875.8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2024-260605","article-title":"Duplication of right vertebral artery in Klippel-Feil anomaly","volume":"17","author":"Charan","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMJ Case Rep"},{"key":"2026012704452094000_19.1.e270875.9","article-title":"An Adult Patient With Acute Ischemic Stroke and Carotid Stenosis Presenting to a Chiropractor: A Case Report","volume":"15","author":"Trager","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cureus"}],"container-title":["BMJ Case Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2025-270875","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T12:45:29Z","timestamp":1769517929000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/casereports.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2025-270875"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"references-count":9,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bcr-2025-270875"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bcr-2025-270875","relation":{},"ISSN":["1757-790X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1757-790X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]}}}