Deep neck infections, which affect soft tissues and fascial compartments of the head and neck, have decreased after the advent of antibiotics. But they still occur in the general population, with a definite potential for significant morbidity, and even mortality, with improper or delayed treatment. We think that acquiring clinical characteristics of deep neck infection with various sites, accurate diagnosis, and definitive therapy accordings to the characteristics is mandatory.
Authors have studied 34 cases of these infections from May 1988 to April 1994. The results were as follows : 1) The common sites of deep neck infection were submandibular space(11 cases), parapharyngeal space(7 cases) in that order. 2) The common etiologies were odontogenic infections(10 cases), pharyngoto-nsillar disease(7 caes), unknown origins(6 cases) in that order. 3) Submandibular infections were common in patients under age 30, had a short admission period, and improved in 54.5% of patients with only conservative therapy. 4) Parapharyngeal infections were prevalent in patients over age 30 and required surgical management in the majority. 5) Retropharyngeal infections were common in under age 10, showed most severe symptoms, and surgical therapy was performed in the majority. 6) In the odontogenic infections, the tooth most frequently involved was the mandibular 3rd molar. 7) The frequently isolated aerobic organisms were streptococcus(9 cases) and staphylococcus(6 cases), and the anaerobic organisms were bacteroides(3 cases). 8) One patient died due to mediastinal abscess.
|