Abstract
Objective: The present study aimed to retrospectively analyze the risk factors of peritonsillar abscess （PTA） causing a severe condition with deep neck abscess （DNA）.
Methods: The study enrolled 78 patients who were diagnosed with PTA. We compared 19 PTA patients who developed DNA and 59 patients without DNA. We focused on the type of abscess, age, degree of infection, smoking and comorbidity and analyzed the risk factors of developing DNA. As to the type of abscess, we classified abscesses into four types: superior oval type, superior cap type, inferior oval type and inferior cap type.
Results: Elderly patients with a high CPR level tended to develop DNA with statistical significance. Furthermore, the superior cap type, inferior oval type and inferior cap type suggested a high risk of DNA. In the 19 PTA patients with DNA, the abscess tended to spread widely in the case of the inferior type. All three DNA patients in whom the abscess developed to the mediastinum were the inferior cap type.
Conclusions: The inferior type of PTA has been considered to have a high risk of severe prognosis. However, even other types such as the superior cap type should be treated as having a high risk of causing DNA and reliable surgical drainage should be performed.
