Cervical pain syndromes. A rare cause for pain in the neck

ABSTRACT

Fourteen patients who presented with neck or throat pain, without apparent cause were selected for this study from February 2001 to November 2002. The diagnosis was pain syndromes arising from the region of the hyoid, mastoid process hones; the thyroid or cricoid cartilages. This diagnosis is often missed and yet is readily treatable. Diagnosis was made by eliciting an impressive tenderness over the bone or cartilage affected and excluding any other pathology in the head and neck area simulating the condition. Control of pain was achieved by intralesional injection of a mixture of corticosteroid plus 1% lignocaine except in the mastoid process syndrome in which topical applied of an anti-inflammatory emulgel was used. Greater recognition of these syndromes will avoid unnecessary investigations and treatments to this group of patients