Abstract
Calcific tendinitis of the longus colli should be recognized as one of the causes of acute neck pain. It is induced by inflammation of the longus colli muscle following deposition of calcified particles. Although the clinical presentation may mimic more serious disorders such as retropharyngeal abcess, diagnosis can be easily established by image analysis including plain X ray, CT, and MRI. The case was a 22-year-old woman who complained of cervical stiffness due to acute nuchal pain. Plain X-ray and CT showed amorphous calcification localized in the caudal portion of the anterior arch of C1. MRI revealed diffuse swelling of the longus colli muscle as the signal intensity changes, especially in T2 weighted image. She was treated by medication with NSAIDs and local rest using neck collar application. After nine days, neck pain gradually decreased and the X-ray on day 30 showed disappearance of calcification.
