Retropharyngeal abscess following a gun shot injury.

A retropharyngeal abscess is an infection in one of the deep spaces of the neck. An abscess in this location is an immediate life-threatening emergency with potential for airway compromise and other catastrophic complications . In adults, retropharyngeal abscess can occur as a result of local trauma such as foreign body ingestion like fishbones or instrumental procedures like laryngoscopy, endotracheal intubation , surgery, endoscopy, feeding tube placement and odontogenic infections. There are very few reported cases of a retropharyngeal abscess following gun shot injury and the special feature in this case was that there was no retained foreign body in the retropharyngeal space.