TY - JOUR T1 - Deep neck space abscesses in children: 15 years of experience in a children's ENT referral unit JO - Anales de Pediatría (English Edition) T2 - AU - Ruiz de la Cuesta,Felix AU - Cortes Castell,Ernesto AU - Garcia Ruiz,Maria Emilia AU - Severa Ferrandiz,Guillermo SN - 23412879 M3 - 10.1016/j.anpede.2018.09.006 DO - 10.1016/j.anpede.2018.09.006 UR - https://www.analesdepediatria.org/en-deep-neck-space-abscesses-in-articulo-S2341287919300857 AB - IntroductionDeep neck space abscesses in infants are clinical entities of great importance due to their severity and possible complications. The aim of the study is to review our experience in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of deep neck space abscesses, and compare it with published literature. Material and methodsRetrospective study was carried out on all patients diagnosed and treated for deep neck space abscesses over a 15-year period (2002–2016), including an analysis of the demographic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics. ResultsA total of 72 cases were diagnosed. An increase was observed in their incidence in recent years. The most frequent locations were peri-tonsillar (30.6%), followed by swollen lymph nodes (18.1%), parapharyngeal (16.7%), and retropharyngeal (16.7%). The least frequent were submandibular abscesses (12.5%) and parotid abscesses (5.6%). The distribution was different according to age (P<.001). The most frequent clinical symptom was fever (70.8%), followed by odynophagia (55.56%). The most used imaging tests were CT (50.7%) and ultrasound (28.2%). The treatment used was pharmacological in 11.1%, all of them abscessed swollen lymph nodes of less than 1.5cm in maximum size. The other 88.9% underwent surgery. There was recurrence in 12.5% of the cases. ConclusionsThe performance of tonsillectomy and/or early cervicotomy in abscesses larger than 2cm or lesions of deep location decreases the number of serious complications and does not have recurrences. When using more conservative surgery, there were 12.5% of recurrences. ER -