title: Tularaemia presenting as parapharyngeal abscess: case presentation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report an extremely rare case of the oropharyngeal form of tularaemia, causing a parapharyngeal abscess.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 48-year-old woman presented with fever, sore throat, breathing difficulty and a right-sided neck swelling. This mass had previously been treated with penicillin without response, and had already been surgically drained once in another hospital. On physical examination, the tonsils were exudative and hypertrophic and the pharynx was hyperaemic. A fluctuant, 4 × 4 cm mass was seen on endoscopic examination, originating from the left parapharyngeal area and protruding towards the pyriform sinus, and partly obstructing the airway. Microagglutination test antibody titres for Francisella tularensis were positive (1/1280). The patient healed completely after definitive drainage of the abscess and antimicrobial therapy for 14 days (streptomycin, 2 × 1 g intramuscularly).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tularaemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with tonsillopharyngitis, cervical lymphadenitis and parapharyngeal abscess who do not respond to treatment with penicillin, even if they do not live in an endemic region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey. drsemakoc@gmail.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koc
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gürbüzler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eyibilen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ekici
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis / Q000009:adverse effects; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000382:microbiology; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008199:Lymphadenitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014406:Tularemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013307:Streptomycin