Red Flags for Visceral Diseases in Patients with Neck Pain: A Scoping Review Protocol.

BackgroundSerious cervical spine pathologies can manifest as musculoskeletal neck pain, requiring careful triage. Beyond musculoskeletal causes, cervical pain may arise from neoplasm, infection, fracture, or visceral diseases. Visceral pain often refers to the spine based on embryological origins, with cardiovascular, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems commonly referred to the cervical region. Red flags are key clinical indicators of serious disorders but are understudied for neck pain, particularly concerning visceral origins. This scoping review aims to map potential red flags for visceral diseases in patients with neck pain, addressing a knowledge gap in the current literature. MethodsWe will search MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase and DiTA. We will include any primary study design (e.g., case-control studies, case reports and case series, and cohort studies). No restrictions regarding study design, time, location, language or setting will be applied. To be included, studied had to focus on adult patients ([≥] 18 years) of any gender with a diagnosis of visceral pathology and with a primary complaint of neck pain with a reporting on warning signs/symptoms, demographic information, risk factors, or onset mechanisms. Two authors will independently perform the study selection and data extraction. Results from the scoping review will be summarized descriptively through tables and diagrams. Any gaps in the existing literature regarding our research questions will be highlighted.