title: Acute Prevertebral Calcific Tendinitis.
abstract: We present a case of neck pain in a middle-aged woman, initially attributed to a retropharyngeal infection and treated with urgent intubation. With the help of computed tomography, the diagnosis was later revised to acute prevertebral calcific tendinitis, a self-limiting condition caused by abnormal calcium hydroxyapatite deposition in the longus colli muscles. It is critical to differentiate between these two disease entities due to dramatic differences in management. A discussion of acute prevertebral calcific tendinitis and its imaging findings is provided below.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamm
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Caroline C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Jeffery
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naik
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: acute calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle; acute prevertebral calcific tendinitis; calcific retropharyngeal tendinitis; computed tomography of the neck; retropharyngeal edema