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| MEDICAL SCIENCE - CASE REPORT |
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| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 7
| Issue : 5 | Page : 63-64 |
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A case of mediastinitis secondary to retropharyngeal abscess
Aparajeet Kar, S Dharmic, V Suryanarayana, M Harish
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Bharath University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| Date of Submission | 31-Oct-2014 |
| Date of Decision | 31-Oct-2014 |
| Date of Acceptance | 09-Nov-2014 |
| Date of Web Publication | 30-Apr-2015 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. S Dharmic
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Bharath University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.155805
 Abstract | | |
A 50 year old male patient who consumed chicken bone soup, 4 days back, presented with dysphagia, high grade fever with chills, shortness of breath and swelling in face, neck and upper chest. Patient was toxic and in respiratory distress with room air oxygen saturation of 83%, which increased to 92% with 6 lit of oxygen through simple face mask. Indirect laryngoscopy revealed a retro pharyngeal abscess and CT chest revealed Sub-cutaneous and mediastinal emphysema. The abscess was immediately drained and followed with parenteral anti-microbials and high flow oxygen theapy. Patient improved and was discharged after 12 days. This case was reported as, foreign body causing Retro-pharyngeal abscess is a very rare entity in this anti-biotic era especially leading to a very rare complication of mediastinitis and Pneumomediastinum is unusual. Keywords: Chicken bone, mediastinitis, Pneumomediastinum, retro-pharyngeal abscess
How to cite this article:
Kar A, Dharmic S, Suryanarayana V, Harish M. A case of mediastinitis secondary to retropharyngeal abscess. J Pharm Bioall Sci 2015;7, Suppl S1:63-4 |
How to cite this URL:
Kar A, Dharmic S, Suryanarayana V, Harish M. A case of mediastinitis secondary to retropharyngeal abscess. J Pharm Bioall Sci [serial online] 2015 [cited 2022 Aug 11];7, Suppl S1:63-4. Available from: https://www.jpbsonline.org/text.asp?2015/7/5/63/155805 |
Retropharyngeal abscesses are rare in adults. They occur mostly in immunocompromised patients or as a complication of foreign body impaction. In adults, retropharyngeal abscesses can occur as a result of local trauma, such as foreign body ingestion (fishbone), or instrumental procedures (laryngoscopy, endotracheal intubation, feeding tube placement, etc.), or in the particular context of an associated disease. [1],[2] Here, we present a case of mediastinitis after rupture of retropharyngeal abscess, which occurred after chicken bone injury.
| Case Report | |  |
A 50-year-old male patient presented with a history of consuming chicken bone soup, 4 days back. Since then, he had difficulty and pain during swallowing. 2 days later he developed high grade fever with chills, shortness of breath and swelling in face, neck and upper chest.
He had no chronic medical or surgical comorbid illnesses.
Clinical examination revealed subcutaneous emphysema in face, neck and upper chest and severe stridor. Patient was febrile, toxic and in respiratory distress with room air oxygen saturation of 83%, which increased to 92% with 6 l of oxygen through simple face mask.
Indirect laryngoscopy revealed a retro pharyngeal abscess [Figure 1].
| Treatment | | |
Hypotension was managed with fluid resuscitation, vasopressors.
Due to impending airway compromise and respiratory arrest, abscess was drained immediately and the patient was put on antimicrobials. A post drainage computed tomography neck and chest revealed a subcutaneous emphysema and mediastinal emphysema. Patient was put on continuous high flow oxygen and supportive care was given.
| Outcome and Follow-up | | |
Patient steadily improved and was discharged after 12 days.
| Discussion | | |
Mediastinitis secondary to spread of infection from elsewhere has become rare in the antibiotic era. [3] The usual route of spread of oropharyngeal infections is via retropharyngeal space to mediastinum. [4],[5],[6] The mainstay of treatment for mediastinitis is open drainage via a cervical or thoracic approach. [3],[4] In this particular case, the patient improved with retropharyngeal abscess drainage and antimicrobials and supportive care.
| References | | |
| 1. | Ngan JH, Fok PJ, Lai EC, Branicki FJ, Wong J. A prospective study on fish bone ingestion. Experience of 358 patients. Ann Surg 1990;211:459-62.  |
| 2. | Arora S, Sharma JK, Pippal SK, Yadav A, Najmi M, Singhal D. Retropharyngeal abscess following a gun shot injury. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2009;75:909. |
| 3. | Kiernan PD, Hernandez A, Byrne WD, Bloom R, Dicicco B, Hetrick V, et al. Descending cervical mediastinitis. Ann Thorac Surg 1998;65:1483-8. |
| 4. | Estrera AS, Landay MJ, Grisham JM, Sinn DP, Platt MR. Descending necrotizing mediastinitis. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1983;157:545-52. [ PUBMED] |
| 5. | Corsten MJ, Shamji FM, Odell PF, Frederico JA, Laframboise GG, Reid KR, et al. Optimal treatment of descending necrotising mediastinitis. Thorax 1997;52:702-8. |
| 6. | Freeman RK, Vallières E, Verrier ED, Karmy-Jones R, Wood DE. Descending necrotizing mediastinitis: An analysis of the effects of serial surgical debridement on patient mortality. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;119:260-7. |
[Figure 1]
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