Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Tornwaldt Cyst: A Cause of Neck Pain and Stiffness

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nasopharyngeal cysts are rare, small in size and asymptomatic, usually diagnosed as in incidental finding on MRI. Large cyst commonly presents with obstructive symptoms. Tornwaldt cysts occur in the midline bursa of the nasopharynx above the upper border of the superior constrictor muscle. They represent as a communication between notochord remnants and the pharyngeal endoderm. We report this case because of its presentation and size (2.5 × 2 cm). It was presented as intermittent cervical pain, stiffness and vertigo because of prevertebral cervical muscle spasm due to cyst and nasal symptoms were not predominant. Although rare, it should be kept as a differential diagnosis for cervical myelgia and stiffness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  1. Mukherji SK (2003) Pharynx. In: Som PM, Curtin HD (eds) Head and neck imaging, 4th edn. Mosby, St. Louis, pp 1507–1509

    Google Scholar 

  2. Eloy P, Watelet JB, Hatert AS, Bertrand B (2006) Thornwaldt’s cyst and surgery with powered instrumentation. B-ENT 2(3):135–139

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Miyahara H, Matsunaga T (1994) Tornwaldt’s disease. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl 517:36–39

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Yanagisawa E, Yanagisawa K (1994) Endoscopic view of Thornwaldt cyst of the nasopharynx. Ear Nose Throat J 73(12):884–885

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Yousem DM (1998) Case review: head and neck imaging. Mosby, St. Louis

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha, India

    Nitish Baisakhiya

  2. Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Science (Deemed University), Nagpur, India

    Prasad Deshmukh

  3. Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, India

    Vinod Pawar

Authors
  1. Nitish Baisakhiya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Prasad Deshmukh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vinod Pawar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nitish Baisakhiya.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baisakhiya, N., Deshmukh, P. & Pawar, V. Tornwaldt Cyst: A Cause of Neck Pain and Stiffness. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 63 (Suppl 1), 147–148 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-011-0185-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-011-0185-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation