Michali Maria C, Basiari Lentiona, Komnos Ioannis D, Simou Dimitra G, Psychogios Georgios V
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC.
Cureus. 2025 Oct 9;17(10):e94168. doi: 10.7759/cureus.94168. eCollection 2025 Oct.
Parapharyngeal space infections are uncommon but associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early surgical drainage remains the mainstay of treatment; however, the optimal surgical approach continues to be debated. Management typically involves either an external (transcervical) approach or a transoral route. We present the case of a 43-year-old woman with a deep parapharyngeal abscess unresponsive to empirical antibiotic therapy who presented with dysphagia, fever, and left cervical swelling. Computed tomography (CT) confirmed the presence of the abscess. Ultrasound-guided intraoral drainage was performed, followed by intravenous antibiotic therapy. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged on the sixth hospital day. Parapharyngeal abscess is the second most common deep neck space infection after peritonsillar abscess. Accurate diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation and radiologic imaging, with CT considered the gold standard for both initial diagnosis and ongoing monitoring.
咽旁间隙感染并不常见，但与较高的发病率和死亡率相关。早期手术引流仍然是主要的治疗方法；然而，最佳的手术入路仍存在争议。治疗通常包括外部（经颈）入路或经口途径。我们报告了一例43岁女性患者，患有深部咽旁脓肿，经验性抗生素治疗无效，表现为吞咽困难、发热和左侧颈部肿胀。计算机断层扫描（CT）证实了脓肿的存在。在超声引导下进行了口腔内引流，随后进行了静脉抗生素治疗。患者恢复顺利，于住院第六天出院。咽旁脓肿是仅次于扁桃体周围脓肿的第二常见的深部颈部间隙感染。准确的诊断依赖于临床评估和影像学检查，CT被认为是初始诊断和持续监测的金标准。
