Can neck swelling lead to spinal cord compression?

Figure 1 Patient on the operating table in prone position. Important swelling is noted on the right side of the patient’s neck. The blue line designs a hypothetical midline as the cervical spinous processes couldn’t be palpated.

Figure 2 Cervical contrast-enhancement spine computed tomography. A: Occipital axial-scan with evidence of a right mass lesion in the pericranial soft tissues; B: Axial-scan passing through the body of C3. Note the almost complete replacement of the paravertebral muscles with the tumor; C: Axial-scan passing through C5.