The incidence of retropharyngeal abscesses in america is rising, despite the widespread use of antibiotics for symptoms of sore throat, fever, neck stiffness and stridor<!--EndFragment-->. Retropharyngeal abscesses were often considered a disease exclusively in children, requiring early recognition and aggressive management to prevent its significant risks of morbidity and mortality. The high rate of mortality associated with retropharyngeal abscesses is owed to its associated with airway obstruction, mediastinitis, aspiration pneumonia, epidural abscess, jugular venous thrombosis, necrotizing fasciitis, sepsis and erosion into the carotid artery. Often times, medical management and surgical incision and drainage attempts are unsuccessful and result in persistent abscess or worsened complications. We studied two children, ages 9 months and age 11, each with a retropharyngeal abscess refractory to medical care. Both cases were in extremis, with respiratory and cardiac compromise. Read More

Meeting name: SPR 2017 Annual Meeting & Categorical Course , 2017

Authors: Dewoolkar Suruchi, Kazmi Faaiza, Koenigsberg Robert

Keywords: Percutaneous, Retropharyngeal, Ct-Guided