title: Retropharyngeal abscesses in children: a 10-year review.
abstract: Retropharyngeal abscess is a rather rare, deep-neck infection of children and may seriously compromise the airway and mimic other diseases. A retrospective review of 17 cases of retropharyngeal abscess presenting to The Children's Hospital, Denver, from 1976 to 1986 was performed. Nine children (56%) had stridor or airway obstruction. Seven patients (41%) had perforations of their hypopharynx or esophagus, including two neonates (most likely associated with intubation attempts). Two patients presented in the emergency department with a tentative diagnosis of "epiglottitis," while another referred to as having "persistent fever" was found to have a needle embedded in the hypopharynx. Fourteen children (81%) were brought to the operating room for examination and/or drainage of the abscess under general anesthesia. One child received an elective tracheotomy, and two others remained intubated postoperatively, pending resolution of their airway compromise. X-rays of the lateral neck were confirmatory in all these cases, with an unusually high incidence of "air/fluid levels," probably reflecting the corresponding large number of perforations of the hypopharynx or esophagus with subsequent communication into the retropharyngeal space.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Children's Hospital, Denver, CO 80218.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Pashley
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009333:Neck; D010614:Pharynx; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents