The 'sentinel clot' sign in spontaneous retropharyngeal hematoma secondary to parathyroid apoplexy.
Spontaneous retropharyngeal hemorrhage from a cervical parathyroid adenoma is a rare complication of primary hyperparathyroidism. Because of its rarity, it has seldom been documented in the radiologic or ENT literature. Patients may present with a variety of manifestations, ranging from dysphagia to dysphonia to life-threatening dyspnea or hemorrhage. Awareness of a possible thyroid or parathyroid etiology may expedite treatment and prevent unnecessary interventions. We present a case of spontaneous retropharyngeal hemorrhage in which the "sentinel clot" sign enabled us to identify the lesion of origin.
Koulouris
George
G
Department of Radiology, The Alfred Hospital, Victoria, Australia. drgeorgek@gmail.com
Pianta
Marcus
M
Stuckey
Stephen
S
D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space