Craig and Schunk identified clinical finding in pediatric patients with a retropharyngeal abscess. The authors are from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and the University of Utah at Salt Lake City.
Most patients are small children but an abscess can occur at any age.
Clinical findings may include:
(1) neck pain
(2) fever
(3) a sore throat
(4) a neck mass
(5) respiratory distress
(6) stridor
(7) limitation of neck extension with difficulty looking up
(8) limitation of neck flexion
(9) torticollis
A CT scan is helpful in establishing the diagnosis.
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