[Retropharyngeal calcific tendinitis: a little-known disease]

Abstract

Retropharyngeal calcific tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendon of the long neck muscle secondary to the deposition of calcium hydroxyapatite crystals. The condition is rarely described in the literature, and cases are frequently not identified because they resolve spontaneously. Because of the nonspecific symptoms, other more serious conditions are often suggested first, such as retropharyngeal abscess or meningitis, leading to invasive and unnecessary interventions and treatments that could be avoided by a better understanding of this pathology by primary care physicians.