[Respiratory obstruction caused by retropharyngeal hematoma secondary to cervical spinal injury. Report of a case].

A case of severe airway obstruction secondary to retropharyngeal hematoma in a young multiple trauma patient with a stable occipitoatloid capsular-ligamentous injury is reported. The onset of mechanical obstruction occurred eight hours after the trauma requiring emergent oral intubation, and lasted seventeen days. The initial lateral cervical spine radiograph was negative, whereas the second one performed 7 hours after and initially underestimated, showed a large prevertebral soft tissue swelling. The initial difficult radiological diagnosis of trauma is described, and the therapeutic implications are discussed.