Retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle: A case report and brief review of the literature
Calcification or ossification of the longus colli tendon is a rare and often underdiagnosed cause of acute neck pain, typically seen in middle-aged adults, especially women. This condition results from the deposition of calcium hydroxyapatite crystals in the tendon, causing an inflammatory or granul...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Radiology Case Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043324014225 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832595765745156096 |
|---|---|
| author | Musharaf Khan, DO Subtain Ali, MD Dhairya A Lakhani, MD |
| author_facet | Musharaf Khan, DO Subtain Ali, MD Dhairya A Lakhani, MD |
| author_sort | Musharaf Khan, DO |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Calcification or ossification of the longus colli tendon is a rare and often underdiagnosed cause of acute neck pain, typically seen in middle-aged adults, especially women. This condition results from the deposition of calcium hydroxyapatite crystals in the tendon, causing an inflammatory or granulomatous response. Common symptoms include neck pain, painful swallowing, and fever. CT imaging is the preferred diagnostic tool, showing retropharyngeal and prevertebral effusions with minimal or no peripheral enhancement, often accompanied by calcifications in the superior fibers of the longus colli tendon. This condition can be mistaken for a retropharyngeal abscess, which requires more invasive management, such as drainage. In contrast, calcific tendinitis responds well to conservative treatment, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Here, we report a case of retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle, highlighting the importance of distinguishing it from other conditions, such as retropharyngeal abscess, to avoid unnecessary invasive treatments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7c3e9075ccdb411680db93876847f19b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1930-0433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Radiology Case Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-7c3e9075ccdb411680db93876847f19b2025-01-18T05:04:14ZengElsevierRadiology Case Reports1930-04332025-03-0120317721775Retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle: A case report and brief review of the literatureMusharaf Khan, DO0Subtain Ali, MD1Dhairya A Lakhani, MD2Corresponding author.; Department of Neuroradiology, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USADepartment of Neuroradiology, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USADepartment of Neuroradiology, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USACalcification or ossification of the longus colli tendon is a rare and often underdiagnosed cause of acute neck pain, typically seen in middle-aged adults, especially women. This condition results from the deposition of calcium hydroxyapatite crystals in the tendon, causing an inflammatory or granulomatous response. Common symptoms include neck pain, painful swallowing, and fever. CT imaging is the preferred diagnostic tool, showing retropharyngeal and prevertebral effusions with minimal or no peripheral enhancement, often accompanied by calcifications in the superior fibers of the longus colli tendon. This condition can be mistaken for a retropharyngeal abscess, which requires more invasive management, such as drainage. In contrast, calcific tendinitis responds well to conservative treatment, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Here, we report a case of retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle, highlighting the importance of distinguishing it from other conditions, such as retropharyngeal abscess, to avoid unnecessary invasive treatments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043324014225Longus colli tendonitisRetropharyngeal effusion |
| spellingShingle | Musharaf Khan, DO Subtain Ali, MD Dhairya A Lakhani, MD Retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle: A case report and brief review of the literature Radiology Case Reports Longus colli tendonitis Retropharyngeal effusion |
| title | Retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle: A case report and brief review of the literature |
| title_full | Retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle: A case report and brief review of the literature |
| title_fullStr | Retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle: A case report and brief review of the literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | Retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle: A case report and brief review of the literature |
| title_short | Retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle: A case report and brief review of the literature |
| title_sort | retropharyngeal effusion secondary to calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle a case report and brief review of the literature |
| topic | Longus colli tendonitis Retropharyngeal effusion |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043324014225 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT musharafkhando retropharyngealeffusionsecondarytocalcifictendinitisofthelonguscollimuscleacasereportandbriefreviewoftheliterature AT subtainalimd retropharyngealeffusionsecondarytocalcifictendinitisofthelonguscollimuscleacasereportandbriefreviewoftheliterature AT dhairyaalakhanimd retropharyngealeffusionsecondarytocalcifictendinitisofthelonguscollimuscleacasereportandbriefreviewoftheliterature |