Gossypiboma is the term used to describe mass lesion caused by retained surgical sponges with reactive tissue after a surgical intervention. This condition has been mostly reported after abdominal or thoracic surgery. We recently experienced a case of gossypiboma of the peritonsillar space in a 31-year old male patient, who previously undergone incision and drainage for treatment of peritonsillar abscess but had persistent symptom of sore throat, myalgia and febrile sensation for 6 months. The gauze was accidently left in the peritonsillar space after a surgical intervention and resulted in mass like lesion in the ipsilateral peritonsillar space. To our knowledge, this is the first case of oropharyngeal gossypiboma in the literature. Although it is rare in adults, foreign body of peritonsillar space should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unilateral recurrent tonsillitis.
Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drainage ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Male ; Palatine Tonsil ; Peritonsillar Abscess ; Pharyngitis ; Sensation ; Surgical Sponges ; Thoracic Surgery ; Tonsillectomy ; Tonsillitis

Acute retropharyngeal calcific tendinitis or calcific tendinitis of the longus is an under-recognized clinical syndrome first described by Hartley in 1964. This syndrome is caused by calcium hydroxylapatate deposition in the longus colli muscle and tendon. Patients typically present with acute neck pain, neck spasm, a restrained range of motion, odynophagia, dysphagia and sore throat. Clinically, it can be misconceived as acute retropharyngeal abscess because of its rather non-specific presentation and rare occurrence. Diagnosis of retropharyngeal calcific tendinitis can be made radiographically with plain radiograph and CT by detecting calcifications anterior to C1-C3 and swelling prevertebral soft tissue. Recognizing this radiologic imaging findings and features can prevent unnecessary treatment and test. We report three patients with acute prevertebral calcific tendinitis, which was misdiagnosed as acute retropharyngeal abscess.
Calcium ; Deglutition Disorders ; Humans ; Muscles ; Neck ; Neck Pain ; Pharyngitis ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retropharyngeal Abscess ; Spasm ; Tendinopathy ; Tendons

Lemierre's syndrome is very rare and is characterized by previous oropharyngeal infections, such as pharyngitis or peritonsillar abscess, leading to high fever, internal jugular venous thrombosis, and metastatic infections to multiple internal organs. Prompt and accurate diagnosis followed by early treatment with antibiotics is very important because its mortality is high if treatment is delayed. We report on the case of a 23-year-old female who was transferred to our hospital with a left peritonsillar abscess combined with left jugular venous thrombosis, complaining of a sore throat and left submandibular swelling, and diagnosed as Lemierre's syndrome. Finally, she was treated successfully without anticoagulants.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anticoagulants ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Lemierre Syndrome* ; Mortality ; Peritonsillar Abscess* ; Pharyngitis ; Venous Thrombosis ; Young Adult

After the introduction of antibiotics, empyema is a rare complication of retropharyngeal abscess caused by acute epiglottitis. But once it occurs, it may be a fatal outcome. Retropharyngeal abscess may spread to mediastinum and pleural cavity along the deep cervical fascia, then it can induce pneumonia, mediastinitis, empyema, and sepsis. Because of its fatal complication, early diagnosis and intensive surgical treatment, such as incision and drainage, is necessary. Now we have a experience of empyema caused by retropharyngeal abscess in a 56-year old diabetic patient with nephropathy. He was admitted to our hospital because of hoarseness and sore throat due to acute epiglottitis. Several days after his admission, he complained of swelling of neck, which was diagnosed as retropharyngeal abscess by the computerized tomography. Retropharyngeal abscess was managed with antibiotics, incision and drainage and culture revealed Peptostreptococcus prevotii. Subsequently empyema developed in his right chest, which was managed with closed thoracotomy, though, he expired due to progression of sepsis.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Empyema* ; Epiglottitis* ; Fascia ; Fatal Outcome ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Mediastinitis ; Mediastinum ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Peptostreptococcus ; Pharyngitis ; Pleural Cavity ; Pneumonia ; Retropharyngeal Abscess* ; Sepsis ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax

Foreign body ingestion induces various complications during the induction of and emergence from anesthesia. These complications include inconsequential mucosal scratches, abrasion, laceration, esophageal stricture, necrosis, retropharyngeal abscess formation, hemorrhage, obstruction and perforation. We experienced a case of esophageal perforation after ingestion of a dental prosthesis during emergence. A 71-year-old female patient received general anesthesia for a lumbar laminectomy. At postanesthesia care unit, she complained of a sore throat and found that her dental prosthesis was missing. The impacted dental prosthesis was found at the T7 level, which was followed due to its perforation through the esophageal wall, causing mediastinitis. She underwent an operation for the esophageal repair and was discharged with slight chest discomfort due to operation, after 10 days.
Aged ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Dental Prosthesis* ; Eating ; Esophageal Perforation* ; Esophageal Stenosis ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Laminectomy ; Mediastinitis ; Necrosis ; Pharyngitis ; Retropharyngeal Abscess ; Thorax

Foreign body ingestion induces various complications during the induction of and emergence from anesthesia. These complications include inconsequential mucosal scratches, abrasion, laceration, esophageal stricture, necrosis, retropharyngeal abscess formation, hemorrhage, obstruction and perforation. We experienced a case of esophageal perforation after ingestion of a dental prosthesis during emergence. A 71-year-old female patient received general anesthesia for a lumbar laminectomy. At postanesthesia care unit, she complained of a sore throat and found that her dental prosthesis was missing. The impacted dental prosthesis was found at the T7 level, which was followed due to its perforation through the esophageal wall, causing mediastinitis. She underwent an operation for the esophageal repair and was discharged with slight chest discomfort due to operation, after 10 days.
Aged ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Dental Prosthesis* ; Eating ; Esophageal Perforation* ; Esophageal Stenosis ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Laminectomy ; Mediastinitis ; Necrosis ; Pharyngitis ; Retropharyngeal Abscess ; Thorax

Cerebral hemorrhage is one of the most common causes of dysphagia. In many cases, dysphagia gets better once the acute phase has passed. Structural lesions such as thyromegaly, cervical hyperostosis, congenital web, Zenker's diverticulum, neoplasm, radiation fibrosis, and retropharyngeal abscess must be considered as other causes of dysphagia as well. Retropharyngeal abscess seldom occur in adults and if it does so, a search for a prior dental procedure, trauma, head and neck infection is needed. The symptoms may include neck pain, dysphagia, sore throat, and in rare cases, dyspnea accompanied by stridor. We present a case and discuss a patient who had dysphagia and neck pain after a cerebral hemorrhage. Testing revealed a retropharyngeal abscess. The symptoms were successfully treated after the administration of antibiotics.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Hyperostosis ; Neck ; Neck Pain ; Pharyngitis ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Respiratory Sounds ; Retropharyngeal Abscess ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Zenker Diverticulum

A retropharyngeal abscess is a rare complication of tracheal intubation.A case of retropharyngeal abscess after unexpected difficult tracheal intubation is presented with a review of the medical literature.A 45-year-old female patient underwent excision and biopsy of the left false vocal cord mass under general anesthesia with tracheal intubation.There was unexpected difficulty of the tracheal intubation and several trials of intubations were performed.The patient complained of pain on the left side of the neck, a sore throat, dysphagia, and chest discomfort one day postoperatively.The patient had fever of 38.7degrees C.Flexible laryngoscopy, neck X-ray, neck computed tomography, and pharyngoesophagographic studies were performed, which revealed a retropharyngeal abscess.The patient was treated with antibiotics, nil per os, nasogastric tube feeding and underwent surgery for incision and drainage of the retropharyngeal abscess under local anesthesia.The patient recovered without complications, and the patient was discharged 12 days postoperatively.
Anesthesia, General ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Deglutition Disorders ; Drainage ; Enteral Nutrition ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Intubation ; Laryngoscopy ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Pharyngitis ; Retropharyngeal Abscess ; Thorax ; Vocal Cords

Kawasaki disease (KD) causes multisystemic vasculitis but infrequently manifests with deep neck infections, such as a peritonsillar abscess, peritonsillar or deep neck cellulitis, suppurative parapharyngeal infection, or retropharyngeal abscess. As its etiology is still unknown, the diagnosis is usually made based on typical symptoms. The differential diagnosis between KD and deep neck infections is important, considering the variable head and neck manifestations of KD. There are several reports on KD patients who were initially diagnosed with retropharyngeal abscess on on computed tomography scans (CT). However, the previously reported cases did not have abscess or fluid collection on retropharyngeal aspiration. Therefore, false-positive neck CT scans have been obtained, until recently. In this case, suspected neck abscess in patients with KD unresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin could signal the possible coexistence of suppurative cervical lymphadenitis.
Abscess ; Cellulitis ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drainage ; Head ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Lymphadenitis ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Neck ; Peritonsillar Abscess ; Retropharyngeal Abscess ; Vasculitis

Arcanobacterium haemolyticum is a cause of chronic skin ulcers in diabetic patients and respiratory infection, especially pharyngitis in healthy person. Less frequently, it is a cause of osteomyelitis, meningitis, pneumonia, abscess, endocarditis and sepsis. We isolated A. haemolyticum from 5 patients including foot or back ulceration in 3 diabetic patients, wound on calcaneus in a chronic osteomyelitis patient and peritonsillar abscess in a pharyngitis patient. A. haemolyticum is usually isolated with other microorganisms and coryneform bacilli which are often considered to be nonpathogenic normal flora or contaminants in wound infections. The correct diagnosis of this microorganism is important for proper treatment and prevention of serious infections.
Abscess ; Arcanobacterium* ; Calcaneus ; Diagnosis ; Endocarditis ; Foot ; Humans ; Meningitis ; Osteomyelitis ; Peritonsillar Abscess* ; Pharyngitis ; Pneumonia ; Sepsis ; Skin Ulcer* ; Ulcer ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries