Peritonsillar abscess in an infant

Abstract

Although a common enough condition in the general population, quinsy is rare in children and even rarer in infants. In most cases the diagnosis is easy on the basis of the suggestive clinical picture. A case is presented of a peritonsillar abscess in a 7-month-old baby. Here, the diagnosis was somewhat doubtful, due to the uncharacteristic clinical appearance and the young age of the patient. Some of the dangers of an inadequate antibiotic treatment are briefly discussed.