Retropharyngeal abscess on a Ga-67 scan: A case report

A retropharyngeal abscess is a potentially fatal deep neck infection. Classical symptoms include fever, neck swelling, sore throat, dysphagia, and cervical rigidity. Sometimes small children present with nonspecific symptoms. We report a rare case whereby the Ga-67 citrate scan was the first investigation to reveal an inflammatory process in the retropharyngeal or submastoid region of a 3-year-old child with sepsis. This directed the line of investigation to a more precise anatomic imaging modality, CT scanning, to localize the abscess. With prompt administration of intravenous antibiotics, the child recovered quickly and did not require surgery. The Ga-67 scan is thus a useful screening test to detect inflammatory foci because of its high sensitivity. It is also valuable in the follow-up of the patient's response to therapy.