Mediastinitis and bilateral pyopneumothorax complicating a parapharyngeal abscess

A 38-year-old male suffered from mediastinitis, pericarditis, and bilateral sudden pyopneumothorax as a complication of the parapharyngeal abscess that ruptured into the hypopharynx. The full diagnosis remained obscure until the complete clinical picture evolved. Antibiotics and pleural and cervical drainage failed to alleviate the symptoms. Recovery commenced only after tamponade of the retropharyngeal space, which terminated the flow of air and saliva from the neck to the thorax. The anatomic relation of the spaces concerned are discussed, as well as the therapeutic and surgical approaches. the importance of the retropharyngeal space, which may serve as a conduit between the neck and the mediastinum, is pointed out.