A Case of Ectopic Longus Colli Calcification Accompanied with Dermatomyositis That Caused External Carotid Artery Injury During Cervical Rotation

Dermatomyositis is sometimes associated with ectopic calcification in the skin and muscles, and can cause pain during movements, limited range of motion, skin ulcers, and/or local infections. We report a case of dermatomyositis in which ectopic calcification of the longus colli muscle caused injury to the external carotid artery. The patient was a 53-year-old woman with dermatomyositis who presented to the emergency department complaining of left cervical swelling that developed suddenly when she turned her neck to the right. After improvement of the swelling, the patient was admitted to our hospital with suspected injury to the external carotid artery caused by a calcified lesion, with bleeding from the lingual artery. The calcified lesion, which was found to be in the longus colli muscle, was resected. The bleeding was from the lingual artery. One year after the surgery, the patient’s condition remains satisfactory. Various conservative treatments have been used to treat ectopic calcifications associated with dermatomyositis, but no standard treatment has been established yet. If the calcified lesion is near an artery, as in this case, surgical treatment should be considered.