title: Retropharyngeal abscess.
abstract: Of 31 children with retropharyngeal abscess treated at this hospital between 1954 and 1990, 17 (55%) were 12 months old or less and 10 (32%) less than 6 months. Three of these 10 children were neonates, only one of whom had a predisposing congenital lesion. Fourteen children (45%) had a preceding upper respiratory illness and four (13%) had a prior history of pharyngeal trauma or ingestion of a foreign body. In children less than 1 year old the clinical presentation was usually classical with fever, neck swelling, stridor, and pharyngeal swelling. Significantly fewer children over 1 year had neck swelling and no child over 3 years old had stridor. A lateral radiograph of the neck, when performed, had a sensitivity of 88% in diagnosis. Bacteria isolated included pure growths of Staphylococcus aureus (25%), klebsiella species (13%), group A streptococcus (8%), and a mixture of Gram negative and anaerobic organisms (38%). There were two deaths. In six cases (24%) the abscess recurred necessitating further surgical drainage.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coulthard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Isaacs
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007710:Klebsiella Infections; D008297:Male; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000473:pathology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections