Pterygoid muscle abscess secondary to parapharyngeal space lymphadenitis

Abstract We describe the case of a young boy with severe clinical symptoms which mimicked several findings consistent with a peritonsillar abscess (PTA). After the patient exhibited no improvement with medical management, imaging revealed an intramuscular medial pterygoid abscess secondary to parapharyngeal space lymphadenitis. This is the first reported case of a patient with a medial pterygoid abscess secondary to lymphadenitis. We also describe a minimally invasive surgical approach for incision and drainage of the abscess that has not previously been described in the literature.