A dancer with an unusual cause of neck pain.

A girl presented with a dull ache in the neck and mild difficulty in neck movements. She had limited clinical signs and her initial work up failed to reveal the cause. With the help of imaging modalities and CT guided needle biopsy, she was diagnosed to have an eosinophilic granuloma of the fifth cervical vertebra. There were no neurological symptoms. She was successfully managed with immobilization of spine, local irradiation and systemic vinblastine. The literature is briefly reviewed for clinical features, diagnosis and management.

Unilateral internal jugular phlebectasia.

Jugular phlebectasia is a rare cause of cervical swelling in children. It is a fusiform dilatation of any part of the jugular venous system and can involve the external, internal or anterior jugular veins. Previous reports suggest that the entity is often ignored or misdiagnosed. Unilateral internal jugular phlebactasia presenting as an intermittent neck swelling in a ten-year-old girl is reported. The clinical features are analyzed and the appropriate use of noninvasive imaging modalities is highlighted. The literature is also briefly reviewed.

Fulminant citrobacter meningitis with multiple periventricular abscesses in a three-month-old infant

Citrobacter, a Gram-negative enteric bacillus, is a rare cause of septicemia and meningitis, seldom reported beyond the neonatal period. It is characterized by a fulminant clinical course and a high incidence of complications, including brain abscesses. We studied a three-month-old infant with Citrobacter meningitis, who developed acute communicating hydrocephalus and multiple periventricular brain abscesses while on treatment. The patient died, despite intensive antibiotic treatment directed towards the causative organism, C. diversus.