咽後膿瘍が疑われた石灰沈着性頸長筋腱炎の2例

Abstract

Head and neck infections include various etiologies that cause acute neck pain and swallowing pain. Calcific tendinitis of the longus colli tendon with rapid development of symptoms requires strict differential diagnosis. The physical burden on vulnerable parts of the neck tendon causes a buildup of calcium deposits in the tendon, thus inducing neck pain. It is characterized on CT findings by the deposition of calcified particles in the anterior aspect of the spine. When swelling of the soft tissue of the throat develops, the image finding mimics that of a retropharyngeal abscess, and hence, careful differentiation is important to determine the appropriate treatment.We encountered two cases of calcific tendinitis of the longus colli tendon the suspected diagnosis of which was a retropharyngeal abscess. The first patient was a 41-year-old man complaining of neck pain. The second was a 25-year-old woman complaining of neck pain and limitation in the range of motion of her neck. Both patients were initially suspected as having a retropharyngeal abscess based on the symptoms and the imaging findings, and were urgently hospitalized. They were started on a course of intravenous antibiotics and analgesic medications. A close review of the images, the local findings, symptoms, and laboratory data gave a final diagnosis of calcific tendinitis of the longus colli tendon. Both patients were treated conservatively without having to undergo surgery.