Retropharyngeal abscess differential diagnosis
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Prince Tano Djan, BSc, MBChB [2]
Overview
Differentiating retropharyngeal abscess from other diseases
Retropharyngeal abscess must be differentiated from other causes of neck pain as shown below:
Variable | Croup | Epiglottitis | Pharyngitis | Bacterial tracheitis | Tonsilitis | Retropharyngeal abscess | Subglottic stenosis | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Presentation | Cough | ✔ | — | Sore throat, pain on swallowing, fever, headache, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting | Barking cough, stridor, | Sore throat, pain on swallowing, fever, headache, cough | Neck pain, stiff neck, torticollis | Depends on severity. May have respiratory distress at birth, exercise-induced dyspnea, intermittent wheezing. Inspiratory stridor. [1] |
Stridor | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
Drooling | — | ✔ | ||||||
Others are Hoarseness, Difficulty breathing, symptoms of the common cold, Runny nose, Fever | Other symptoms include difficulty breathing, fever, chills, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness of voice | |||||||
Causes | Parainfluenza virus | H. influenza type b, beta-hemolytic streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, fungi and viruses. | Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus. | Staphylococcus aureus | Most common cause is viral including adenovirus, rhinovirus, influenza, coronavirus, and respiratory syncytial virus. Second most common causes are bacterial; Group A streptococcal bacteria,[2] | Polymicrobial infection. Mostly; Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and respiratory anaerobes (example; Fusobacteria, Prevotella, and Veillonella species)[3][4][5][6][7][8] | Congenital, trauma | |
Physical exams findings | Suprasternal and intercostal indrawing,[9] Inspiratory stridor[10], expiratory wheezing,[10] Sternal wall retractions[11] | Cyanosis, Cervical lymphadenopathy, Inflammed epiglottis | Inflammed pharynx with or without exudate | Subglottic narrowing with purulent secretions in the trachea[12][13] | Fever, especially 100°F or higher.[14][15]Erythema, edema and Exudate of the tonsils.[16] cervical lymphadenopathy, Dysphonia.[17] | Child may be unable to open the mouth widely. May have enlarged
cervical lymph nodes and neck mass. |
Signs of respiratory distress, intermittent wheezing. Inspiratory stridor. [1] | |
Age commonly affected | Mainly 6 months and 3 years old
rarely, adolescents and adults[18] |
Used to be mostly found in
pediatric age group between 3 to 5 years, however, recent trend favors adults as most commonly affected individuals[19] with a mean age of 44.94 years. |
Mostly in children and young adults,
with 50% of cases identified between the ages of 5 to 24 years.[20] |
Mostly during the first six years of life | Primarily affects children
between 5 and 15 years old.[21] |
Mostly between 2-4 years, but can occur in other age groups.[22][23] | May be congenital congenital or acquired. Mean age in acquired is 54.1 years[24] | |
Imaging finding | Steeple sign on neck X-ray | Thumbprint sign on neck x-ray | — | Lateral neck xray shows intraluminal membranes and tracheal wall irregularity. | Intraoral or transcutaneous USG may show an abscess making CT scan unnecessary.[25][26][27] | On CT scan, a mass impinging on the posterior pharyngeal wall with rim enhancement is seen[28][29] | Bronchoscopy reveals subglottic stenosis. Computed tomography may reveal a concentric stenotic tracheal segment.[30] | |
Treatment | Dexamethasone and nebulised epinephrine | Airway maintenance, parenteral Cefotaxime or Ceftriaxone in combination with Vancomycin. Adjuvant therapy includes corticosteroids and racemic Epinephrine.[31][32] | Antimicrobial therapy mainly penicillin-based and analgesics. | Airway maintenance and antibiotics | Antimicrobial therapy mainly penicillin-based and analgesics with tonsilectomy in selected cases. | Immediate surgical drainage and antimicrobial therapy. emperic therapy involves; ampicillin-sulbactam or clindamycin. | Endoscopic balloon dilation for patients with low-grade subglottic stenosis,[33] glucocorticoid injections, and resection.[34] |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nussbaumer-Ochsner Y, Thurnheer R (2015). "IMAGES IN CLINICAL MEDICINE. Subglottic Stenosis". N Engl J Med. 373 (1): 73. doi:10.1056/NEJMicm1404785. PMID 26132943.
- ↑ Putto A (1987). "Febrile exudative tonsillitis: viral or streptococcal?". Pediatrics. 80 (1): 6–12. PMID 3601520.
- ↑ Cheng J, Elden L (2013). "Children with deep space neck infections: our experience with 178 children". Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 148 (6): 1037–42. doi:10.1177/0194599813482292. PMID 23520072.
- ↑ Abdel-Haq N, Quezada M, Asmar BI (2012). "Retropharyngeal abscess in children: the rising incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus". Pediatr Infect Dis J. 31 (7): 696–9. doi:10.1097/INF.0b013e318256fff0. PMID 22481424.
- ↑ Inman JC, Rowe M, Ghostine M, Fleck T (2008). "Pediatric neck abscesses: changing organisms and empiric therapies". Laryngoscope. 118 (12): 2111–4. doi:10.1097/MLG.0b013e318182a4fb. PMID 18948832.
- ↑ Brook I (2004). "Microbiology and management of peritonsillar, retropharyngeal, and parapharyngeal abscesses". J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 62 (12): 1545–50. PMID 15573356.
- ↑ Wright CT, Stocks RM, Armstrong DL, Arnold SR, Gould HJ (2008). "Pediatric mediastinitis as a complication of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus retropharyngeal abscess". Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 134 (4): 408–13. doi:10.1001/archotol.134.4.408. PMID 18427007.
- ↑ Asmar BI (1990). "Bacteriology of retropharyngeal abscess in children". Pediatr Infect Dis J. 9 (8): 595–7. PMID 2235179.
- ↑ Johnson D (2009). "Croup". BMJ Clin Evid. 2009. PMC 2907784. PMID 19445760.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cherry, James D. (2008). "Croup". New England Journal of Medicine. 358 (4): 384–391. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp072022. ISSN 0028-4793.
- ↑ Johnson D (2009). "Croup". BMJ Clin Evid. 2009. PMC 2907784. PMID 19445760.
- ↑ Liston SL, Gehrz RC, Siegel LG, Tilelli J (1983). "Bacterial tracheitis". Am J Dis Child. 137 (8): 764–7. PMID 6869336.
- ↑ Liston SL, Gehrz RC, Jarvis CW (1981). "Bacterial tracheitis". Arch Otolaryngol. 107 (9): 561–4. PMID 7271556.
- ↑ Tonsillitis. Medline Plus. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001043.htm. Accessed May 2nd, 2016.
- ↑ "Tonsillitis - NHS Choices".
- ↑ Stelter K (2014). "Tonsillitis and sore throat in children". GMS Curr Top Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 13: Doc07. doi:10.3205/cto000110. PMC 4273168. PMID 25587367.
- ↑ "Tonsillitis - Symptoms - NHS Choices".
- ↑ Tong MC, Chu MC, Leighton SE, van Hasselt CA (1996). "Adult croup". Chest. 109 (6): 1659–62. PMID 8769531.
- ↑ Lichtor JL, Roche Rodriguez M, Aaronson NL, Spock T, Goodman TR, Baum ED (2016). "Epiglottitis: It Hasn't Gone Away". Anesthesiology. 124 (6): 1404–7. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000001125. PMID 27031010.
- ↑ Bennett, John (2015). Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's principles and practice of infectious diseases. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. ISBN 978-1455748013.
- ↑ Sharav, Yair; Benoliel, Rafael (2008). Orofacial Pain and Headache. Elsevier. ISBN 0723434123.
- ↑ Craig FW, Schunk JE (2003). "Retropharyngeal abscess in children: clinical presentation, utility of imaging, and current management". Pediatrics. 111 (6 Pt 1): 1394–8. PMID 12777558.
- ↑ Coulthard M, Isaacs D (1991). "Neonatal retropharyngeal abscess". Pediatr Infect Dis J. 10 (7): 547–9. PMID 1876473.
- ↑ Nicolli EA, Carey RM, Farquhar D, Haft S, Alfonso KP, Mirza N (2017). "Risk factors for adult acquired subglottic stenosis". J Laryngol Otol. 131 (3): 264–267. doi:10.1017/S0022215116009798. PMID 28007041.
- ↑ Kawabata M, Umakoshi M, Makise T, Miyashita K, Harada M, Nagano H; et al. (2016). "Clinical classification of peritonsillar abscess based on CT and indications for immediate abscess tonsillectomy". Auris Nasus Larynx. 43 (2): 182–6. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2015.09.014. PMID 26527518.
- ↑ Nogan S, Jandali D, Cipolla M, DeSilva B (2015). "The use of ultrasound imaging in evaluation of peritonsillar infections". Laryngoscope. 125 (11): 2604–7. doi:10.1002/lary.25313. PMID 25946659.
- ↑ Fordham MT, Rock AN, Bandarkar A, Preciado D, Levy M, Cohen J; et al. (2015). "Transcervical ultrasonography in the diagnosis of pediatric peritonsillar abscess". Laryngoscope. 125 (12): 2799–804. doi:10.1002/lary.25354. PMID 25945805.
- ↑ Philpott CM, Selvadurai D, Banerjee AR (2004). "Paediatric retropharyngeal abscess". J Laryngol Otol. 118 (12): 919–26. PMID 15667676.
- ↑ Vural C, Gungor A, Comerci S (2003). "Accuracy of computerized tomography in deep neck infections in the pediatric population". Am J Otolaryngol. 24 (3): 143–8. PMID 12761699.
- ↑ Nussbaumer-Ochsner Y, Thurnheer R (2015). "IMAGES IN CLINICAL MEDICINE. Subglottic Stenosis". N Engl J Med. 373 (1): 73. doi:10.1056/NEJMicm1404785. PMID 26132943.
- ↑ Nickas BJ (2005). "A 60-year-old man with stridor, drooling, and "tripoding" following a nasal polypectomy". J Emerg Nurs. 31 (3): 234–5, quiz 321. doi:10.1016/j.jen.2004.10.015. PMID 15983574.
- ↑ Wick F, Ballmer PE, Haller A (2002). "Acute epiglottis in adults". Swiss Med Wkly. 132 (37–38): 541–7. PMID 12557859.
- ↑ Cui PC, Luo JS, Zhao DQ, Guo ZH, Ma RN (2016). "[Management of subglottic stenosis in children with endoscopic balloon dilation]". Zhonghua Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi. 51 (4): 286–8. doi:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1673-0860.2016.04.009. PMID 27095722.
- ↑ Nussbaumer-Ochsner Y, Thurnheer R (2015). "IMAGES IN CLINICAL MEDICINE. Subglottic Stenosis". N Engl J Med. 373 (1): 73. doi:10.1056/NEJMicm1404785. PMID 26132943.