title: Penetrating pharyngeal injuries in children: trivial trauma leading to devastating complications.
abstract: Pharyngeal perforations are uncommon in children and are usually secondary to instrumentation or external penetrating injuries. A delay in management can lead to life-threatening complications such as retropharyngeal abscess, mediastinitis, and airway compromise. We report three children who had pharyngeal perforation due to apparently innocuous injury and who developed serious complications. A high index of suspicion for a significant pharyngeal injury, use of lateral soft-tissue x-ray films of the neck, and flexible endoscopy in the emergency room can assist in early diagnosis when evaluating patients with oropharyngeal and penetrating neck injury. Prompt administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics, local drainage, and debridement can avert life-threatening complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, P.O. Box 3500, Stadium Road, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Zubair
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Luqman
authors.forename: Muhammad Arif Mateen
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Zafar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nazir
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000209:etiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D017703:Retropharyngeal Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013352:Subcutaneous Emphysema / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery