OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Assess the role of retropharyngeal lymph node dissection in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with transoral robotic surgery (TORS). STUDY DESIGN Prospective case series. METHODS Retrospective analysis of 72 patients with oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma treated with transoral oropharyngectomy, neck dissection, and retropharyngeal node dissection. RESULTS...

BACKGROUND Lymph node metastasis from differentiated thyroid carcinoma may occur outside of the basins at greatest risk of spread, such as the lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes. The extensive surgery of traditional approaches to the retropharyngeal space are rarely justified in the treatment of metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer. Therefore, a less invasive surgical approach is advantage...

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, endo...

Retropharyngeal abscess with involvement of mediastinal abscess represents an uncommon complication of upper respiratory tract infections. We report a case presenting with a large retropharyngeal abscess with airway obstruction as the primary presenting symptom. Contrast-enhanced CT showed a large retropharyngeal abscess in the neck with extension to the upper and posterior mediastinal spaces. ...

Spontaneous retropharyngeal hematoma is rare and difficult to diagnosis early. A 23-year-old male spontaneously developed acute onset of neck pain, limitation of neck motion, and mild dysphagia. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated blood products in prevertebral space from C2 to C4, suggesting a diagnosis of retropharyngeal hematoma. We report a rare case of spontaneous retropharyngeal hemat...

The retropharyngeal internal carotid artery (ICA) is a well-described arterial anomaly with important implications for patients undergoing pharyngeal approach surgical procedures. Existing clinical and imaging classification schemes for a retropharyngeal ICA take into account arterial distance to the pharyngeal mucosal wall. We describe a case of mobility of a retropharyngeal ICA between short-...

BACKGROUND Retropharyngeal hematoma is a rare form of pharyngeal pathology and can present as acute airway obstruction. Among the many causes of retropharyngeal hematoma, thoracic aortic rupture is extremely rare. METHODS AND RESULTS A 78-year-old female with airway obstruction by a retropharyngeal hematoma secondary to thoracic aortic aneurysm rupture was successfully treated by total aortic...

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, self-limited vasculitis of unknown etiology that occurs predominantly in young children (≤5 years of age). We herein report the case of an 18-year-old Japanese man with a history of incomplete KD during infancy; later, despite an initial diagnosis of retropharyngeal abscess, he was ultimately diagnosed with retropharyngeal edema associated with recurrent KD. A...

BACKGROUND Biopsy of the retropharyngeal node is not routinely accessible. The diagnosis of retropharyngeal lymph node recurrence in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is often based on an imaging study. METHODS We reported a patient with NPC who was incorrectly diagnosed with left retropharyngeal lymph node recurrence by both MRI and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT. RESULTS...

Retropharyngeal abscess most commonly occurs in children. When present in adults the clinical features may not be typical, and associated immunosuppression or local trauma can be part of the presentation. We present a case series of five adult patients who developed foreign body ingestion trauma associated retropharyngeal abscess. The unusual pearls of each case, along with their outcomes, are ...