China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Patient Assessment
Published in Ian Greaves, Keith Porter, Jeff Garner, Trauma Care Manual, 2021
Ian Greaves, Keith Porter, Jeff Garner
Careful palpation of the neck posteriorly for tenderness, bruising, swelling or a palpable step is essential, although the only common sign is tenderness. Approaches to ‘clearing’ the cervical spine are discussed in Chapter 16.
Craniopharyngioma in a young woman with symptoms presenting as mechanical neck pain associated with cervicogenic headache: a case report
Published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 2021
Firas Mourad, Fabio Cataldi, Alberto Patuzzo, Sara Tunnera, James Dunning, César Fernández-de-las-Peñas, Filippo Maselli
The aim of this case report was to discuss the relevant aspects of the pathophysiology, screening and differential diagnosis of a rare pathologic tumor presenting as headache and neck pain in a direct access physiotherapy setting. Diagnosis of craniopharyngioma is usually suggested by clinical and radiological findings that should be confirmed histologically by biopsy (Venegas, Concepcion, Martin, and Soto, 2015). Clinical presentation is often variable in cases of craniopharyngioma; therefore, an incomplete history and examination could lead to misdiagnosis (i.e., non-specific neck pain with CGH). However, a comprehensive history supported by the clinical reasoning led the physiotherapist to undertake an oriented objective examination with the goal of clearing the cervical spine. The comprehensive history and findings during physical examination led the physiotherapist to suspect a non-musculoskeletal cause to the sinister symptoms reported by the patient. Like the case described herein, clinical presentation in adults is often dominated by nonspecific manifestations of intracranial pressure (e.g., headache and nausea). Furthermore, primary manifestations include visual impairment (62–84%) and endocrine deficits (52–87%). Among patients with adult-onset craniopharyngioma, hormonal deficits at the time of diagnosis are much more pronounced when compared with childhood-onset patients with craniopharyngioma.