Retropharyngeal abscess
Symptoms
- Recent sore throat or infected nose or teeth
- High fever
- Severe throat pain
- Difficulty swallowing
- Drooling
- Breathing difficulty
- Intercostal retractions (the muscles between the ribs pull in when breathing)
- Stridor (a high-pitched sound when inhaling)
Exams and Tests
The health care provider will perform a physical examine and look inside the throat. The doctor or nurse may gently rub the back of the throat with a cotton swab, so that a sample of tissue can be more closely examined. This is called a throat culture.
A complete blood count may be done to check for signs of infection. An x-ray or CT scan of the neck may show pus in the space between throat and neck.
References
Cummings CW, Flint PW, Haughey BH, et al. Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery. 4th ed. St Louis, Mo; Mosby; 2005:4365-4367.
Marx J. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2006:1120-1121.
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