Longus colli tendinitis: acute neck pain with retropharyngeal swelling

Longus colli tendinitis (LCT) has been described in several case reports, and is likely underdiagnosed due to its non-specific symptoms and self-limiting nature. It usually presents as acute neck pain with retropharyngeal swelling seen on nasoendoscopy and imaging studies. This may lead to unnecessary invasive interventions if physicians are unaware of the disease course. We discuss a case of LCT in a young woman who was treated at our institution, with recommendations on how to identify and treat such cases accurately without overtreatment.