Hudgins P A, Dorey J H, Jacobs I N
Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1998 Nov-Dec;19(10):1841-3.
Our purpose was to describe the association between narrowing of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and retropharyngeal abscess in children.
Neck CT scans from 13 consecutive children with suppurative retropharyngeal lymphadenitis and abscess were evaluated retrospectively for asymmetric ICA diameters at the level of the abscess. Clinical status at the time of illness was established via a chart review. Twenty control CT scans obtained from pediatric patients with normal imaging findings were evaluated prospectively to determine symmetry and size of the ICA.
Mean diameter of the normal ICA, contralateral to the retropharyngeal abscess, was 5 mm (range, 3-8 mm), while mean diameter ipsilateral to the abscess was 3 mm (range, 1-5 mm). The diameters of the normal and abnormal ICAs were statistically significantly different. All children were neurologically normal. The right and left ICAs in children with normal CT findings in the neck were symmetrical in diameter.
Despite dramatic narrowing of the ICA ipsilateral to retropharyngeal lymphadenitis and abscess, no children in this series had neurologic deficits, suggesting that such narrowing is a common, benign, and, most likely, incidental imaging finding.
我们的目的是描述儿童颈内动脉（ICA）狭窄与咽后脓肿之间的关联。
回顾性评估13例连续性化脓性咽后淋巴结炎和脓肿患儿的颈部CT扫描，以观察脓肿水平处ICA直径的不对称情况。通过病历回顾确定患病时的临床状况。前瞻性评估20例影像学检查结果正常的儿科患者的CT扫描，以确定ICA的对称性和大小。
咽后脓肿对侧正常ICA的平均直径为5毫米（范围3 - 8毫米），而脓肿同侧的平均直径为3毫米（范围1 - 5毫米）。正常和异常ICA的直径在统计学上有显著差异。所有儿童神经功能均正常。颈部CT检查结果正常的儿童左右ICA直径对称。
尽管咽后淋巴结炎和脓肿同侧的ICA明显狭窄，但本系列中没有儿童出现神经功能缺损，提示这种狭窄是一种常见、良性且很可能是偶然的影像学表现。
