title: Torticollis as the presenting sign in cervical spine infection and tumor.
abstract: This report presents five patients with cervical-area infection and four with spinal cord tumors who presented with torticollis early in the course of their illnesses. three children were found to have osteomyelitis of the cervical spine; two, retropharyngeal abscess; two, intramedullary astrocytoma; one, extradural neuroblastoma; and one, extradural sarcoma. Though torticollis is most frequently a benign condition, its persistence or its association with other objective findings should lead to search for an etiologic basis.
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications; D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000150:complications; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000150:complications*; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000150:complications; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D014103:Torticollis / Q000209:etiology*