Large Cervical Osteophytes Research Articles

Cervical migraine: Not merely a pain in the neck

Cervical spondylitic spurs can cause impairment of vertebral artery blood flow, thus producing the clinical picture of vertebral artery insufficiency. The fifty-four year old man described herein had severe recurrent headaches, and angiography demonstrated impairment of left vertebral artery blood flow by a large cervical osteophyte. Cervical spinal fusion resulted in clinical remission for four years. The anatomic relationships of the vertebral arteries which predispose them to compression and trauma are discussed. The resulting neurologic symptoms and signs are similar to those occurring with basilar artery insufficiency. They are frequently episodic and are associated with certain postures of the head and neck. Angiographic study should include visualization of all four cervical arteries, with the neck held in flexion and hyperextension, and with the head turned to both sides. Surgical intervention is indicated when symptoms are frequent and severe, and consists of decompression of the vertebral artery and/or cervical spinal fusion.

Osteophytes of the cervical spine causing dysphagia.

OSTEOPHYTES and other hypertrophic changes in the cervical spine are a frequent finding, especially in people of advanced age. These spurs may be asymptomatic or may be associated with pain in the neck and arms. Local pain, radiated pain, and limitation of neck motion are well-known associated symptoms. Large spurs are frequently mentioned as a possible danger during esophagoscopy.^1-3They may mechanically obstruct the passage of the esophagoscope or may increase the risk of perforation. However, rarely are cervical osteophytes mentioned as a cause of dysphagia. The purpose of this paper is to report a case of dysphagia due to large cervical osteophytes and to discuss the management of dysphagia related to these cervical changes. <h3>Report of a Case</h3> A 65-year-old man, was first seen in the Otolaryngology Clinic in June 1964. One year earlier he noted the onset of dysphagia, characterized by progressive difficulty in the swallowing of