Benign Nuchal Rigidity: The Emergency Department Evaluation of Acute Prevertebral Calcific Tendonitis

Abstract

Acute prevertebral calcific tendonitis (APCT) is a rare condition, the exact incidence of which isunknown. It is of particular interest to the emergency physician owing to the other potentiallydevastating conditions in the differential diagnosis of neck stiffness and/or odynophagia (includingretropharyngeal abscess, infectious spondylitis, and meningitis.) In contrast, APCT has a benignclinical course and can be easily managed in the emergency department. We will present a case ofAPCT, followed by a brief discussion of the disease and current literature. [West J Emerg Med.2012;13(1):114–116.]

Keywords

• longus colli
• tendinitis
• prevertebral
• calcification