Ultrasound-guided transoral drainage of a paediatric parapharyngeal abscess.
OBJECTIVE
To report and discuss the surgical use of ultrasonography for draining a parapharyngeal space infection in a child.


METHODS
The use of image-guided surgery for draining a parapharyngeal abscess has been previously reported, with computed tomography for an intra-oral approach and ultrasound for an external approach. We present the first case report of a four-year-old child with a retropharyngeal abscess and a deep parapharyngeal abscess in whom neck ultrasound was used to assist intra-oral drainage.


CONCLUSIONS
Neck ultrasound may be used in paediatric patients to visualise access to the parapharyngeal space through the intra-oral route for abscess drainage.
Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department,Athens Medical Centre,Marousi,Greece.
A
A
Delides
Department of Paediatric Radiology,Athens Medical Centre,Marousi,Greece.
E
E
Manoli
Department of Paediatrics and Paediatric Pulmonology,Athens Medical Centre,Marousi,Greece.
M
M
Papadopoulos
2nd Otolaryngology Department,Attikon University Hospital,Athens,Greece.
T
T
Nikolopoulos
D002675:Child, Preschool; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D017703:Retropharyngeal Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography