Spontaneous retropharyngeal hematoma: Diagnosis by MR imaging

Spontaneous retropharyngeal hematoma is an uncommon entity that is difficul t to diagnose and may progress rapidly to airway obstruction. We report a c ase of a 53-year-old man with acute onset of retropharyngeal pain, dysphoni a, and dysphagia after vomiting. On CT, a non-specific retropharyngeal coll ection was seen. MR imaging demonstrated blood products, suggesting a diagn osis of retropharyngeal hematoma, and the patient was managed conservativel y. MR imaging allowed specific diagnosis of a rare condition that is otherw ise difficult to diagnose without surgical intervention.