The child with a stiff neck.
The child with a stiff neck can be a challenging diagnostic exercise. Four unusual examples of acute neck stiffness, not associated with meningitis, are presented to illustrate the various pathologic conditions which may produce this symptom. A differential diagnostic schema is suggested on the basis of pathologic and physiologic alterations of cervical and paracervical anatomic structures.
D000293:Adolescent; D002372:Cat-Scratch Disease / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000150:complications; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D008297:Male; D008580:Meningism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D009132:Muscles; D009222:Myotonia / Q000150:complications; D009334:Neck Muscles; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications