Retropharyngeal Tendinitis

Retropharyngeal tendinitis of the longus coli muscle is a clinically significant condition that is only moderately documented in the literature. Symptoms can mimic pathologies such as meningitis or retropharyngeal abscess. Radiologically, it can also be mistaken '"for cervical fracture or a calcified stylohyoid ligament. It is characterized by insidious onset of severe progressive neck pain with restricted cervical range of motion. The disease is thought to resemble the same histophysiology as calcific tendinitis of the shoulder and involves the deposition of hydroxyapatite crystals. There appear to be two phases: a non-symptomatic deposition phase and a symptomatic resorptive phase. The underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Various authors have proposed that this clinical syndrome is more prevalent than previously considered.