Acute epiglottitis in the adult

Acute epiglottitis in the adult is a rare disease, which has shown an appreciable increase since the sixties and in our locality since 1984. We present a review of the cases registered in our hospital, analyzing their aetiology, evolution and treatment. The disease is most likely to be suspected in the presence of any patient having a sudden dysphagia, especially if he shows symptoms of an acute infection and a lack of oropharyngeal pathology.