[Occipital condyle syndrome as the first symptom of a metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. Two case reports].

BACKGROUND

Occipital condyle syndrome consists of the presence of unilateral occipital headache exacerbated by moving the head and is accompanied by paralysis of the ipsilateral hypoglossal nerve. One of its causes is infiltration of the base of the skull by bone metastases, especially those affecting the hypoglossal nerve due to infiltration as it passes through the osseous canal.

METHODS

We report two clinical cases of occipital condyle syndrome secondary to metastatic hepatocarcinoma. The first is that of a 52-year-old male with liver cirrhosis secondary to liver pathology caused by hepatitis C virus with occipital condyle syndrome as the presenting symptom in disseminated hepatocarcinoma. The second case is that of a 56-year-old male after recurrence of hepatocarcinoma following a liver transplant, despite not fulfilling the Milan criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Occipital condyle syndrome is an alarm symptom and requires a thorough study by means of imaging tests, since it may be the first symptom of an undetected hepatocarcinoma.