Case Presentation: An 89-year-old man with coronary artery disease, hypertension, and osteoarthritis presented with acute-onset severe posterior neck pain, with no viral prodrome. The patient reported experiencing generalized weakness and associated headache, but denied any fevers, chills, cough, myalgia, joint pain, ulcers or rashes. Additionally, he did not report any photophobia, phonophobia, changes in vision, [...]

Case Presentation: A 20-year-old female with no past medical history presented to a rural hospital with shortness of breath, sepsis, and a several-day history of right-sided throat pain 2 weeks after a dental procedure. Chest x-ray demonstrated bilateral lung opacifications and blood cultures were positive for Streptococcus constellatus. She was started on broad-spectrum antibiotics and [...]

Case Presentation: A 71-year-old woman with a past medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and osteoarthritis presented with four days of fevers, intermittent confusion, subjective weakness, and pain in the neck and left shoulder. On examination, she exhibited tenderness to palpation of the neck with significantly limited rotational range of motion. The left shoulder was also [...]

Case Presentation:   A 76-year-old female was admitted from an outside hospital for concern for osteomyelitis of her cervical spine.  She had previously had a week of neck pain with limited range of motion due to pain.  She was treated for E. coli sepsis following positive blood and urine cultures, but her neck pain persisted.  Upon transfer, [...]

Case Presentation: A 41-year-old female with a history of hypertension, depression, and alcohol abuse presented to the emergency department with right facial swelling and pain after biting her cheek the previous night. The patient first noticed a small, unconcerning “red bump” on her cheek that was minimally painful earlier that morning. She was admitted to [...]

Case Presentation: A 55-year-old woman presented with 7 days of progressively worsening posterior neck pain, a low grade fever, odynophagia and hoarseness of her voice. Her past medical history includes diabetes mellitus, hypertension and osteoarthritis. A day after onset of the pain, she went to her primary care physician’s office for evaluation. A throat culture [...]

Case Presentation: A 81 year old Asian woman with past medical history of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and arthritis presented with fever and five days of worsening neck stiffness and pain, worsened by neck movement. Laboratory examination revealed mild leukocytosis, CRP 28 and ESR 114. Broad spectrum antibiotics were started for possible meningitis. Lumbar [...]

Case Presentation: 42-year-old woman with a history of pulmonary embolism and Antiphospholipid syndrome on lifelong anticoagulation with warfarin presented with severe neck pain and headache for five days. Examination revealed an ill appearing woman, febrile to 101F with excruciating neck pain aggravated by movement in all directions and swallowing. Labs were remarkable for an elevated [...]

Case Presentation: 65-year-old man with a history of end stage renal disease on hemodialysis, hypertension, cervical spine stenosis status post surgical decompression presented with melena, a decreased appetite, dysphagia for solids and liquids, and a ninety-pound weight loss over the prior six months. He was admitted with acute hypoxic respiratory failure and stridor requiring endotracheal [...]

Case Presentation: A 54-year-old male with hereditary spherocytosis, status-post splenectomy presented to the emergency room complaining of acute onset neck pain for 2 days. This was localized on the left side of his neck and associated with odynophagia. The patient endorsed mild headache but no photophobia or fever. His vital signs were stable with a [...]