Comparative Clinical Outcomes of Needle Aspiration and Incision & Drainage in Peritonsillar Abscess

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Infectious Diseases
• Surgical Procedures

Background:

• Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is a common deep neck infection.
• Current treatment modalities include needle aspiration (NA) and incision & drainage (ID).
• Comparative clinical outcomes of NA versus ID for PTA remain controversial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical outcomes of needle aspiration (NA) and incision & drainage (ID) for treating peritonsillar abscess (PTA).
• To identify factors influencing treatment modality selection and their association with patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 185 adult patients with PTA.
• Patients were categorized into NA or ID groups based on the drainage method performed.
• Data collected included demographics, clinical findings, laboratory parameters, treatment variables, and length of hospital stay.

Main Results:

• Incision and drainage (ID) was associated with higher first-attempt success rates (89.8%) compared to needle aspiration (NA) (75.9%).
• ID procedures involved significantly greater drainage volume and a higher number of interventions.
• Steroid use was more frequent in the NA group (16.1%) than in the ID group (2.0%).

Conclusions:

• Both NA and ID are effective treatments for PTA.
• ID demonstrates superior first-attempt success and greater drainage volume.
• Treatment modality choice, including adjunctive steroid use, may influence short-term clinical outcomes in PTA patients.