2024 Volume 27 Issue 1 Pages 63-67
A man in his 50s was transferred from another hospital’s emergency department to ours due to a suspicion of acute epiglottitis. He had a medical history of gastrointestinal stromal tumor for which he was taking imatinib. On admission, the patient was conscious but showed difficulty breathing. Neck contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed swelling of the epiglottis and retropharyngeal abscess, and laryngeal endoscopy revealed a swollen and red epiglottis. Hence, the patient was diagnosed with acute epiglottitis and received emergency airway management. A blood culture on admission confirmed the presence of Pasteurella multocida. Antibiotics and steroid administration gradually improved the condition of epiglottitis, and we extubated the patient after 7 days. Detailed history taking revealed that the patient lived close to a cat but had not been bitten or scratched. Physicians should be aware of the potential zoonotic risk of acute epiglottitis.
