An unusual complication of emergency tracheal intubation.
A 68-year-old woman presented with dyspnoea having undergone a short period of tracheal intubation during an episode of congestive cardiac failure 10 days earlier. On the fourth day of admission, she suddenly developed acute respiratory distress followed by a cardiac arrest and was found to have an enlarging neck mass. Following intubation and resuscitation, computerised tomography was carried out and surgical exploration revealed a retropharyngeal abscess and a pseudo-aneurysm of the common carotid artery resulting from pharyngeal rupture which most probably occurred as a complication of the original tracheal intubation.
Ooi
G C
GC
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Irwin
M G
MG
Lam
L K
LK
Cheng
S W
SW
D000368:Aged; D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000293:injuries; D017703:Retropharyngeal Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed