Epiglottic abscess: its occurrence and management.

Twenty-six cases of epiglottic abscess from the English literature are reviewed. The condition occurs nearly exclusively in adults and it has a high mortality rate (30 per cent). The lingual surface of the epiglottis is most commonly involved and less than half of the patients present with severe airway obstruction. The management of the condition is dictated by the degree of airway obstruction.