RETROPHARYNGEAL EFFUSION IN ACUTE CALCIFIC PREVERTEBRAL TENDINITIS - DIAGNOSIS WITH CT AND MR-IMAGING

Three patients with the diagnosis of acute calcific prevertebral tendi nitis underwent CT or a combination of CT and MR imaging, which showed previously described findings of calcifications within the tendons of the longus colli muscles. In addition, however, we detected a retroph aryngeal effusion in all three patients. The importance of this findin g lies in the need to differentiate this effusion from retropharyngeal infection.