When viewing this topic in a different language, you may notice some differences in the way the content is structured, but it still reflects the latest evidence-based guidance.

Retropharyngeal abscess

Last reviewed: 16 Sep 2025
Last updated: 18 Oct 2022

Summary

Definition

Анамнез и осмотр

Ключевые диагностические факторы

  • spiking fever
  • neck pain or torticollis
  • odynophagia
  • dysphagia
  • neck swelling/mass/lymphadenopathy
  • oropharyngeal swelling
  • drooling
Полная информация

Другие диагностические факторы

  • decreased oral intake
  • anorexia
  • malaise
  • irritability
  • trismus
  • dysphonia
  • dyspnea
  • fatigue
  • sleep apnea
  • stridor
  • tonsillar swelling
  • increased respiration rate
  • decreased oxygen saturations
  • cyanosis
  • tachypnea
  • tracheal tug
  • intercostal recession
Полная информация

Факторы риска

  • foreign body ingestion
  • trauma to posterior pharyngeal wall
  • dental caries/infection
  • diabetes mellitus
  • male sex
  • adenotonsillectomy
Полная информация

Диагностические исследования

Исследования, которые показаны в первую очередь

  • CBC
  • erythrocyte sedimentation rate
  • CT neck with contrast
  • x-ray of neck
  • ultrasonography of neck
  • examination under anesthetic (EUA)
  • culture
Полная информация

Алгоритм лечения

Острый

airway compromise

no airway compromise

Составители

Авторы

Carl Philpott, MB ChB, FRCS (ORL-HNS) DLO, MD, PGCME
Carl Philpott

Consultant in ENT & Rhinology

James Paget University Hospital

Great Yarmouth

UK

Раскрытие информации

CP is an advisory board member for GSK, Sanofi, and Stryker. He has received grants from NIHR and is a trustee of Fifth Sense. CP is an author of a number of references cited in this topic.

Kala Kumaresan, MBBS, MRCS (ENT)

Clinical Research Fellow

Department of ENT

James Paget University Hospital

Norwich

UK

Раскрытие информации

KK declares that she has no competing interests.

Выражение благодарностей

Professor Carl Philpott and Dr Kala Kumaresan would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Kristian Hutson, Dr Lorna Langstaff, Dr Asad Qayyum, Dr Kevin Kulendra, Dr Cameron Davies-Husband, and Dr Marcos Martinez Del Pero, previous contributors to this topic.

Раскрытие информации

KH, LL, AQ, KK, CDH, and MMDP declare that they have no competing interests.

Рецензенты

Remco de Bree, MD, PhD

Otolaryngologist

Head and Neck Surgeon

VU University Medical Center

Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Раскрытие информации

RdB declares that he has no competing interests.

Michael Johns, MD

Director

Assistant Professor

Emory University

Atlanta

GA

Раскрытие информации

MJ declares that he has no competing interests.

Lynn Solomon, MD

Assistant Professor

Tufts University

Boston

MA

Раскрытие информации

LS declares that she has no competing interests.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

Список литературы

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Основные статьи

Philpott CM, Selvadurai D, Banerjee AR. Paediatric retropharyngeal abscess. J Laryngol Otol. 2004 Dec;118(12):919-26. Аннотация

Bochner RE, Gangar M, Belamarich PF. A clinical approach to tonsillitis, tonsillar hypertrophy, and peritonsillar and retropharyngeal abscesses. Pediatr Rev. 2017 Feb;38(2):81-92. Аннотация

Статьи, указанные как источники

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.

Использование этого контента попадает под действие нашего заявления об отказе от ответственности