Thomas Kiren, Gupta Manish, Gaba Saurabh, Gupta Monica
Otolaryngology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Ambala, IND.
Otorhinolaryngology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Ambala, IND.
Cureus. 2020 May 23;12(5):e8256. doi: 10.7759/cureus.8256.
Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is a life-threatening emergency due to its potential to cause airway compression. It is rare in the elderly and occurs mostly in immunocompromised patients, or as a complication of instrumentation. We are reporting the case of a 70-year-old male who presented with sudden onset breathing difficulty with a history of dysphagia for three months. The clinical examination revealed a bulge in the posterior pharyngeal wall. A lateral-view radiograph of neck revealed retropharyngeal soft tissue density with carious spine. The patient was successfully treated by trans-oral incision and drainage of the abscess under local anesthesia. Diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed by positive acid-fast staining and cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT). The patient improved significantly following the initiation of anti-tubercular therapy.
咽后脓肿（RPA）因其可能导致气道受压而成为危及生命的急症。在老年人中罕见，大多发生在免疫功能低下的患者中，或作为器械操作的并发症。我们报告一例70岁男性患者，他突发呼吸困难，并有三个月的吞咽困难病史。临床检查发现咽后壁有隆起。颈部侧位X线片显示咽后软组织密度增高，伴有脊柱龋齿。该患者在局部麻醉下经口切开引流脓肿，治疗成功。抗酸染色阳性和基于 cartridge 的核酸扩增试验（CBNAAT）证实了结核病的诊断。开始抗结核治疗后，患者病情明显改善。
