A dancer with an unusual cause of neck pain

Abstract

A girl presented with a dull ache in the neck and mild difficulty in neck movements. She had limited clinical signs and her initial work up failed to reveal the cause. With the help of imaging modalities and CT guided needle biopsy, she was diagnosed to have an eosinophilic granuloma of the fifth cervical vertebra. There were no neurological symptoms. She was successfully managed with immobilization of spine, local irradiation and systemic vinblastine. The literature is briefly reviewed for clinical features, diagnosis and management.