Abstract
Calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle (CTLCM) is an acute disorder characterized by cervical pain,dysphagia and calcification anterior to the C1-C2 vertebral bodies. This disease has been relatively uncommon in Japan. We herein report a case of CTLM in a 33-year-old male who complained of posterior cervical pain. He first visited our emergency department. An otolaryngologist diagnosed him with CTLCM based on examinations performed by another doctor in a different department. His symptoms resolved following the administration of anti-inflammatory medications. We also performed a literature review, and the etiology of CTLCM is discussed. The previous studies suggest that when patients with a genetic predisposition experience repetitive trauma or inflammation, calcium deposition occurs due to the degeneration of the tendon of the longus colli muscle following excessive exercise of the neck. We also examined which medical department was initially consulted by the 35 patients with CTLCM reported in Japan, and which medical department definitively diagnosed those patients. The medical departments which the patients first visited were as follows：orthopedics, 16/35 (46%)；emergency, 6/35 (17%)；otolaryngology, 2/35 (6%) and neurosurgery, 2/35 (6%). The medical department which definitively diagnosed the patients was the department of otolaryngology in 22/35 (63%) cases, orthopedics in 11/35 (31%) cases and neurosurgery in 2/35 (6%) cases. Our study suggests that many patients with CTLCM first visit orthopedists, but they were diagnosed by otolaryngologists.
