Posttraumatic Retropharyngeal Pseudomeningocele—A Case Report

Abstract

Abstract A retropharyngeal pseudomeningocele after cervical vertebral fracture dislocation is an extremely rare complication and often associated with hydrocephalus. It usually presents with respiratory difficulty and dysphagia, sometimes as an incidental finding in radiological study. We reported a case of 45-year-old female patient who had posttraumatic lower cervical prevertebral retropharyngeal pseudomeningocele, found as an incidental finding in a routine radiological workup. Patient underwent ACDF but expired 2 weeks postoperatively due to respiratory failure. Although the prognosis of retropharyngeal pseudomeningocele depends upon the severity of initial trauma, early recognition and management can prevent enlargement of cyst and development of respiratory difficulty and dysphagia.