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Retropharyngeal abscess: an unusual complication of tracheal intubation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 August 2006

S. Stein  and
A. S. Daud
S. Stein
Affiliation:
Departments of Anaesthesia, and Ear, Nose and Throat, Bury Health Care NHS Trust, Fairfield General Hospital, Rochdale Old Road, Bury BL9 7TD, UK
A. S. Daud
Affiliation:
Departments of Anaesthesia, and Ear, Nose and Throat, Bury Health Care NHS Trust, Fairfield General Hospital, Rochdale Old Road, Bury BL9 7TD, UK
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Abstract

A 42-year-old man presented as an emergency to the ENT department with sore throat and complete dysphagia, having undergone an umbilical hernia repair under general anaesthesia with tracheal intubation 3 weeks previously at another institution. One course of antibiotics from his general practitioner improved the symptoms but, on discontinuation of the antibiotics, symptoms flared up leading to complete dysphagia. Indirect laryngoscopy showed a bulging of the retropharyngeal wall, which was confirmed as a widening of the retropharyngeal space on a lateral soft-tissue X-ray film of the neck. Surgical exploration confirmed a retropharyngeal abscess, which probably occurred as a complication of the original tracheal intubation.

Keywords

complicationsintubationretropharyngeal abscessdifficult airway management
Type
Case Report
Information
European Journal of Anaesthesiology , Volume 16 , Issue 2 , February 1999 , pp. 133 - 136
Copyright
1999 European Society of Anaesthesiology

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