BENIGN CERVICAL PREVERTEBRAL SOIL TISSUE SWELLING IN TRAUMATIC ASPHYXIA

Two cases of benign cervical prevertebral soft tissue swelling followi ng traumatic asphyxia are presented. Neither were associated with neck pain, neck tenderness, or mechanism of injury associated with cervica l injury, and each resolved spontaneously. Traumatic asphyxia, which r esults in significant craniofacial swelling, may also result in swelli ng of the retropharyngeal soft tissues, which may be detected on cervi cal radiography. Cervical prevertebral soft tissue swelling in the set ting of traumatic asphyxia should not be misinterpreted as suggestive of spinal injury in the absence of other findings.