Abstract

Neck stiffness is a classical sign of meningeal irritation, which suggests a meningitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage commonly. However, it is not always a pathognomic signs of intracranial disease. Retropharyngeal abscess is a rare deep neck infection in adults, which may cause severe headache. We report a case of retropharyngeal abscess which had unusually presented with meningism. In headache patients presented meningeal irritation signs with normal finding of cerebrospinal fluid, retropharyngeal infections must be considered as a disease of differential diagnosis.