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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Ibnosina Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences 2022; 14(04): 152-156
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1760303
Original Article

Acute Retropharyngeal Abscess in Libyan Children: Case Series and Literature Review

Shirin Alougly
1   Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit, Benghazi Children's Hospital, Benghazi, Libya
2   Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya
,
Alia Alhsony
1   Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit, Benghazi Children's Hospital, Benghazi, Libya
2   Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya
,
Aisha Elarwah
1   Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit, Benghazi Children's Hospital, Benghazi, Libya
2   Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya
,
Suliman Elbragathy
1   Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit, Benghazi Children's Hospital, Benghazi, Libya
2   Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya
› Author Affiliations Sponsorship and Funding None.
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Abstract

Background A retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is a deep neck infection that considers a medical emergency because of the possibility of serious complications including life-threatening upper airway obstruction, mediastinitis, and sepsis.

Materials and Methods We present our experience in Benghazi Children's Hospital, describing the clinical presentations, diagnostic workup, management, and the outcome of four children presented during the time period between November 2017 and November 2021 as cases of RPA secondary to penetrating trauma to the posterior pharyngeal wall either due to ingestion of a foreign body or due to manipulation of tonsils by the traditional therapist.

Results All cases presented with fever, poor feeding, and hyperextension of the neck. All were diagnosed by ultrasound and they needed surgical drainage of RPA, as they did not improve with medical treatment alone.

Conclusion A high index of suspicion is necessary for the early diagnosis and treatment of RPA. Two of our cases were presented following the manipulation of tonsils by a traditional therapist, so we attempted to emphasize this life-threatening consequence after traditional therapy, as well as the unnecessary morbidity and mortality associated with this ongoing traditional treatment in our country.

Keywords

retropharyngeal abscess - children

Authors' Contributions

Shirin Alougly helped in conceptualizing the study, writing, reviewing, editing, revising it critically for important intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be published. Alia Alhsony and Aisha Elarwah drafted, revised, and finalized the manuscript. Suliman Elbragathy helped in supervising and reviewing for final approval.


Compliance with Ethical Principles

The study was approved by the Benghazi Children Hospital committee for scientific research and the Research and Consulting Department at the Faculty of the Medicine University of Benghazi.


Informed Consent

Permission was obtained from the families and all are agreed to share their children data and publishing it.




Publication History

Article published online:
07 February 2023

© 2023. The Libyan Authority of Scientific Research and Technology and the Libyan Biotechnology Research Center. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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