Comparison of computed tomography and surgical findings in deep neck infections

Computed tomography is routinely used in the evaluation of patients suspected to have deep neck infections. This 10-year retrospective study compares preoperative computed tomography scan reports with intraoperative findings in 38 patients who underwent surgical exploration of the parapharyngeal or retropharyngeal space within 48 hours of their radiographic assessment. Overall, intraoperative findings confirmed computed tomography scan interpretation in 76.3% of the patients. The false-positive rate was 13.2%, and the false-negative rate was 10.5%. The sensitivity of computed tomography scan for detection of parapharyngeal space or retropharyngeal space abscess was 87.9%. This study's documentation of false-positive computed tomography scans in the evaluation of deep neck infections emphasizes the importance of correlating radiologic interpretation with clinical examination before surgical intervention.