Acute pediatric neck infections: Outcomes in a seven-year series

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to analyse the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic clues, as biochemical parameters and imaging studies, of children with acute neck infections (ANI) to identify possible independent prognostic factors leading to complications and prolonged hospitalization. Methods: Records of children admitted to a tertiary university hospital from January 2008 to December 2014 with a diagnosis of ANIs were reviewed retrospectively. Diseases were categorized according to the site of infection and patients were divided into two groups: children (aged Results A total of 102 patients belonged to the children's group and 57 were adolescents. Forty-nine patients (27.2%) received antibiotics prior to presentation. The most frequent ANI was peritonsillar abscess (n = 72). Four peritonsillar abscesses progressed to parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal abscesses (n = 2 respectively). An association between age and type of abscess was found, with most of the retropharyngeal abscesses occurring in children (p = 0.05), and the submandibular abscesses in adolescents (p  Conclusions The present study found, that often, the diagnosis and treatment of neck abscesses in paediatric patients is not straightforward, but can achieve a favourable outcome. The primary location of the ANI appears to vary in different paediatric age groups. Younger age, presence of multiple abscesses or a palpable cervical mass on admission, were associated with prolonged hospitalization. Presence of toothache and neck pain on admission was identified as possible predictors of complications.