eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Neurology

Torticollis: Follow-up

Author: Kevin Tao, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University/Bellevue Hospital
Coauthor(s): Christopher M McStay, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University, Bellevue Hospital Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Nov 5, 2009

Follow-up

Prognosis

  • Prognosis depends on the underlying disorder.
  • Most cases of acquired torticollis are self-limited and resolve within 2 weeks.
  • Idiopathic spasmodic torticollis (IST) gradually progresses over months to years and is life-long.

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • ED physicians should not diagnose idiopathic spasmodic torticollis (IST) if the patient has acute torticollis. Consider other causes.
  • Unusual cervical disk herniation or bony subluxation, on occasion, cause acute wryneck or torticollis.
  • Emergent diagnoses of retropharyngeal abscess, epiglottitis, and spinal epidural abscesses and hematomas should always be considered.
  • Traumatic causes of torticollis require cervical spine immobilization before further evaluation.
 


More on Torticollis

Overview: Torticollis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Torticollis
Treatment & Medication: Torticollis
Follow-up: Torticollis
Multimedia: Torticollis
References
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References

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  2. Robin N. Congenital Muscular Torticollis. Pediatrics in Review. Oct 1996;(10):374-5.

  3. Hasegawa J, Tateda M, Hidaka H, Sagai S, Nakanome A, Katagiri K. Retropharyngeal abscess complicated with torticollis: case report and review of the literature. Tohoku J Exp Med. Sep 2007;213(1):99-104. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

torticollis, idiopathic spasmodic torticollis, IST, involuntary contractions of neck muscles, focal dystonia, congenital torticollis, birth trauma, acquired torticollis, acute wryneck, painful neck spasms, cervical muscle spasm, tonic head deviation, clonic head movements, head torsion, spasmodic torticollis, cervical osteomyelitis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Kevin Tao, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University/Bellevue Hospital
Kevin Tao, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Emergency Medicine Residents Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Christopher M McStay, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University, Bellevue Hospital Center
Christopher M McStay, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Wilderness Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Jeffrey Glenn Bowman, MD, MS, Consulting Staff, Highfield MRI, Columbus, Ohio
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

J Stephen Huff, MD, Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine and Neurology, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center
J Stephen Huff, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Academy of Neurology, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Rick Kulkarni, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Section of Emergency Medicine, Yale-New Haven Hospital
Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

 
 
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