[Retropharyngeal abscess. 6 case reports]

From 1983 to 1991, 6 cases of retropharyngeal abscess were treated at the University Hospital Center of Dakar. A retrospective review of these cases showed that most occurred in children between the ages of 3 months and 3 years. All patients were examined late, i.e. with a delay of more than one week between the onset of symptoms and consultation of a specialist. The clinical signs were dysphagia, dyspnea, and, in all but one case, fever. In 5 patients, diagnosis was based on the observation of a mass in the middle section of the posterior wall of the pharynx that led to peroral incision and drainage without general anesthesia. In the remaining patient, whose abscess involved the lower part of the wall, endoscopy was necessary to allow diagnosis and incision under general anesthesia after tracheotomy. In all cases, complete healing was obtained after 10-day single-agent antimicrobial therapy. Practitioners in tropical areas should bear in mind that retropharyngeal abscesses are not uncommon in these regions and that they can cause serious complications (rupture and mediastinal extension).