Spontaneous Retropharyngeal Hematoma: Diagnosis by MR Imaging

Summary: Spontaneous retropharyngeal hematoma is an uncommon entity that is difficult to diagnose and may pro-gress rapidly to airway obstruction. We report a case of a 53-year-old man with acute onset of retropharyngeal pain, dysphonia, and dysphagia after vomiting. On CT, a non-specific retropharyngeal collection was seen. MR imaging demonstrated blood products, suggesting a diagnosis of ret-ropharyngeal hematoma, and the patient was managed conservatively. MR imaging allowed specific diagnosis of a rare condition that is otherwise difficult to diagnose with-out surgical intervention. Spontaneous retropharyngeal hematoma (RH) is a rare cause of acute noninflammatory neck swell-ing that may rapidly evolve to upper respiratory airway obstruction. The diagnosis is often delaye