Journal of spinal disorders
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Case Reports
Airway compromise as a result of retropharyngeal hematoma following cervical spine injury.
Mechanical airway obstruction secondary to prevertebral hematoma following cervical spine injury is a life-threatening emergency. We present eight cases of mechanical airway obstruction from prevertebral hematomas in patients with cervical spine injury. ⋯ To date, this phenomenon has not been reported in injuries below C6. Additionally, because symptoms may take hours to develop, initial cervical radiographs may not show evidence of retropharyngeal swelling and impending airway obstruction.