乳幼児副咽頭間隙膿瘍5症例の検討

Clinical study of parapharyngeal abscesses in infant

Ⅰ．はじめに

　頸部膿瘍はわれわれ耳鼻咽喉科医が日常診療においてしばしば経験する疾患である^1）。しかし深頸部感染症である副咽頭間隙膿瘍は，乳幼児においては非常に稀である^1,2）。副咽頭間隙膿瘍は，時に急激に増悪し，咽喉頭の浮腫や腫脹による上気道閉塞をきたしたり，縦隔へ進展して降下性縦隔膿瘍に至ることもあるため，迅速かつ的確な診断と治療が必要となる疾患である。今回，われわれは当院にて入院加療を要した乳幼児副咽頭間隙膿瘍の5例を経験したので，若干の文献的考察を加えて報告する。

　Parapharyngeal abscess is a relatively common deep neck infection in adults, but rarely occurs in infants. We treated 5 infants of parapharyngeal abscesses. They were 3 boys and 2 girls aged 0-4 years. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the neck was useful for diagnosis in all cases. In addition to the administration of antibiotics, intraoral drainage was performed in 4 patients, and the other patient underwent intraoral aspiration. All the patients recovered satisfactorily without complications or sequelae. We should be aware that this emergent and potentially life-threatening disease must be well managed without delay, particularly in infants.