Are Computed Tomography Scans Necessary for the Diagnosis of Peritonsillar Abscess?

Background Peritonsillar abscess is one of the most common deep-space infections of the head and neck, accounting for significant healthcare costs in the United States. Contributing to this expenditure is the trend of increased usage of computed tomography (CT), particularly in the emergency department. However, CT can be falsely positive for peritonsillar abscess, prompting unnecessary drainage attempts that yield no purulence. The false positive findings question the accuracy of CT in diagnosing peritonsillar abscess. Objectives The objective of the study was to compare the accuracy of CT with clinical exam to assess if CT is warranted in peritonsillar abscess diagnosis. Methods A retrospective study was performed of patients presenting to eight Orlando emergency departments with throat pain from January 1, 2013, to April 30, 2013. Patients with clinical diagnoses of peritonsillar abscesses were reviewed. A note was made whether CT was performed and if peritonsillar abscess was seen. The reads were compared to the results of procedural intervention for abscess drainage to assess the accuracy of CT in diagnosing peritonsillar abscess. Results There were 116 patients diagnosed with peritonsillar abscess, of which 99 underwent CT scans to aid in diagnosis. Among these 99 patients, 23 received procedural intervention, with 16 having a return of purulence (69.6%), and seven remaining without purulence (30.4%). Conclusion This study highlights the potential inaccuracies of CT scan in diagnosing peritonsillar abscess, as 30.4% of scans interpreted as abscess lacked purulence on intervention. Given these findings, clinicians could serve as better fiscal stewards by using history and exam to guide management in the majority cases with infectious processes of the oropharynx.