Imaging contribution for the diagnosis of carotidynia

Abstract

Carotidynia is a condition characterized by tenderness of the carotid artery and ipsilateral neck pain, eventually aggravated by head movements, swallowing, coughing and sneezing. We report a 52-year-old male presenting cervical pain associated with localized tenderness and reversible structural changes of the common carotid wall, emphasizing the applicability of the diagnostic imaging methods for the presumptive diagnosis of carotidynia in the appropriate clinical context. © Springer-Verlag 2009.