Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
39th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID), Geneve, İsviçre, 24 - 29 Mayıs 2021
Background: Retropharyngeal abscess is an infrequent but serious condition. Early diagnosis can help prevent the potential consequences of airway compromise, sepsis, and extension to contiguous structures. The peak incidence occurs in 3- to 5-year-olds. Here in we discuss a case of retropharyngeal abscess in an unvaccinated child.
Case Presentation Summary: A 2.5-year-old boy was brought with a fever, difficulty swallowing, and swelling in the neck. He received 5 days of ceftriaxone and clindamycin treatment for left cervical lymphadenopathy, but the swelling in the neck increased and difficulty swallowing occurred. It was learned from his history that no vaccines had been administered so far. On physical examination, there was approximately 5x5 cm swelling in the left cervical region and difficulty in swallowing. Initial laboratory tests showed leucocyte 18.850/mm3 (neutrophils 85%), hemoglobin 12.5 g/dL, C-reactive protein 145 mg/dL. Emergency neck computed tomography showed an enhanced large abscess cavity posterior to the left retropharyngeal space, and a low-density area surrounded by an area without contrast enhancement in the posterior neck. And he was urgently operated on by the otolaryngologist. The patient was placed under observation with postoperative administration of meropenem and vancomycin. The culture of the abscess fluid was positive for penicillin-resistant Streptococcus viridans. The patient improved clinically and was subsequently discharged on day 7 of admission.
Learning Points/Discussion: Although retropharyngeal abscess is rare in childhood, it can be severe
and fatal. It is very important to diagnose and treat this cause early. In this case, we shared an
emergency operated case on a pediatric patient who had never been vaccinated before.