title: A rare case of an infected tracheal diverticulum requiring emergency intervention: A case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent advancement in radiological imaging has revealed an increasing amount of asymptomatic abnormalities. Tracheal diverticula are relatively rare entities and are incidentally found on radiological imaging such as computed tomography. Here, we present a case of an infected tracheal diverticulum presenting as a paratracheal mass, which required emergency intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 65-year-old Japanese nonsmoker man presented with a fever, lower neck pain, and the aggravation of dyspnea for a week. An enhanced computed tomography scan demonstrated that the trachea was displaced by a paratracheal mass with a well-defined thin wall. His respiratory status was so urgent that emergency intubation and surgical drainage of the abscess were performed. A computed tomography scan performed 4days after admission demonstrated shrinking of the abscess, and he was extubated and discharged 7days after admission without any complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to confirm an infected tracheal diverticulum presenting as a paratracheal abscess, which required emergency intervention. Moreover, computed tomography plays an important role in the differentiation of paratracheal masses.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Okamoto 1370, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: akap.sh.3381@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akabane
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Okamoto 1370, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: jkawachi@d7.dion.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kawachi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Okamoto 1370, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: fukai@shonankamakura.or.jp.
authors.forename: Ryuta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fukai
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Okamoto 1370, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: rai.shimoyama@tokushukai.jp.
authors.forename: Rai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Okamoto 1370, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: kashiwagi@shonankamakura.or.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Okamoto 1370, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: o-hide@mug.biglobe.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Hidemitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogino
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Okamoto 1370, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: kazuwatanabe@shonankamakura.or.jp.
authors.forename: Kazunao
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
keywords: Abscess; Airway management; Computed tomography; Paratracheal mass; Tracheal diverticulum