Vol.102 No.11 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 102 No. 11 November 2009
Four Cases of Deep Neck Abscess Forming Gas
Shinji Takebayashi, Mie Yamanishi, Hiroki Ikeda, Akira Shibano and Makoto Miura
(Japanese Red Cross Wakayama Medical Center)
Cases of deep neck abscess have decreased thanks to the use of antibiotics, but remain life-threatening and potentially mortal when gas forms. We report four cases of gas-forming deep neck abscess-one each in the region of submandibular bone, the submandibular space, the parapharyngeal space, and in the thyroid gland. All four had other diseases such as carcinoma or diabetes that weakened their physical conditions. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were detected in all four. We found computed tomography (CT) to be very useful in early diagnosis and treatment. Emergency surgery combined with antibiotic therapy and local irrigation enabled all four to recover. We therefore recommend prompt surgical drainage if CT detects a gas-forming abscess.
Key words :deep neck abscess, gas-forming, anaerobic bacteria