title: Paediatric retropharyngeal abscess.
abstract: Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is an uncommon condition with the potential for significant morbidity and mortality if not detected early. The authors present a case report of a 19-month-old child who presented with the common clinical features of a retropharyngeal abscess and in whom the diagnosis was not established by examination and ultrasonography. This led to a delay in appropriate management until a computed tomography (CT) scan was performed under general anaesthesia. The scan demonstrated the diagnosis and surgical drainage was performed under the same anaesthetic. The child subsequently made a complete recovery. The investigation and treatment of RPAs is a matter of some debate and the authors review the recent literature to determine the best management strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK. carl.philpott@btopenworld.com
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Philpott
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selvadurai
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Banerjee
mesh_terms: D004322:Drainage; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D017703:Retropharyngeal Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed