Hanging head sign as a presenting feature of spinal cord neoplasms: a report of four cases.

A series of four patients presented with a common but unique finding: inability to hold the head in an upright position. Each complained of pain with attempts at passive extension of the neck. All subsequently were diagnosed with spinal cord neoplasms. The literature indicates that the more classic symptoms of spinal cord tumors are often slow to develop and exist for months before being accurately diagnosed. The "hanging head sign" may provide an earlier diagnosis of spinal cord lesions.