Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe and potentially fatal soft tissue infection, but involvement of the head and neck is rare. We report on 4 cases of cervical necrotizing fasciitis arising from tonsillitis. One patient was diabetic and one had received steroids before disease development. One patient developed acute respiratory failure and died of septic shock. Three patients recovered, helped b...

UNLABELLED Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) can be a life-threatening disease and may lead to significant complications without drainage. OBJECTIVES To describe the utility of ultrasound (US) in the evaluation of potential PTA and US-guided PTA drainage. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective US quality assurance review of all patients over 18 years of age scanned by emergency physicians ...

Internal Jugular Vein (IJV) thrombosis is a rare but potentially fatal condition. First described in 1912 as a complication of peritonsillar abscess [1] it is now known to have a varied aetiology. The leading cause of IJV thrombosis is the use of the IJV for venous access [2] and central venous catheterization. Other causes include oropharyngeal infection (Lemierre Syndrome), deep neck space in...

Upper and lower respiratory infections are encountered commonly in the emergency department. Visits resulting from occurrences of respiratory disease account for 10% of all pediatric emergency department visits and 20% of all pediatric hospital admissions. Causes of upper airway infections include croup, epiglottitis, retropharyngeal abscess, cellulitis, pharyngitis, and peritonsillar abscesses...

Acute adult pharyngitis is a common reason to visit the primary care physician's office. Without knowledge of the natural course of acute pharyngitis in the adult patient, it can be easy to miss a serious complication. We offer the case of a 46 year-old man who initially presented with acute pharyngitis and eventually developed a peritonsillar abscess requiring intubation and intensive care uni...

Background and Purpose Redundant internal carotid arteries have been considered a risk factor in tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and surgical treatment of peritonsillar abscess and also a potentially treatable cause of stroke. However, an association between internal carotid artery redundancy and spontaneous dissection has not yet been clearly demonstrated. Methods We reviewed, for spontaneous ca...