Ear, Nose, Throat: Beyond Pharyngitis: Retropharyngeal Abscess, Peritonsillar Abscess, Epiglottitis, Bacterial Tracheitis, and Postoperative Tonsillectomy

Abstract

Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) emergencies presenting with a chief complaint of pharyngitis can be due to infection, trauma, or postprocedure complications. The entities described in this article include retropharyngeal abscess, peritonsillar abscess, epiglottitis, bacterial tracheitis, and post-tonsillectomy bleeding. This article provides the emergency physician with the tools needed to decipher between the mundane and the critical, variations in presentation, and their emergent management. All of them require early recognition for any airway compromise or obstruction in order to avoid serious complications.

Keywords: Abscess; Epiglottitis; Peritonsillar abscess; Retropharyngeal; Tonsillectomy; Tracheitis.