title: Transoral negative-pressure catheter drainage of a retropharyngeal and mediastinal abscess.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is an extremely rare entity in adults that has a tendency to spread vertically and cause a mediastinal abscess. Traditionally, immediate aggressive drainage is recommended via a transcervical or transthoracic approach for the treatment of a retropharyngeal abscess with mediastinal extension. Here, we present a case of a retropharyngeal and mediastinal abscess using a transoral negative-pressure catheter drainage approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 24-year-old woman was admitted with a 4-day history of severe sore throat and painful swallowing. Computed tomography identified a retropharyngeal abscess extending to the upper posterior mediastinum. We performed transoral negative-pressure catheter drainage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient reported a rapid improvement in symptoms and had a good tolerance of the catheters in the nasal cavity. At 2 years postoperatively, physical examinations revealed no recurrence or surgical complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transoral negative-pressure catheter drainage is a minimally invasive operation for the treatment of RPA in adults with or without a mediastinal abscess. This method could be recommended as an alternative approach in such cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The 252nd Hospital of PLA, Baoding, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: shujunchen001@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shu-jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The 252nd Hospital of PLA, Baoding, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao-xian
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000601:surgery*; D057785:Catheters; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D009055:Mouth; D017703:Retropharyngeal Abscess / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult