Fatal case of descending necrotising mediastinitis

Description

A 56-year-old man presented with a 4-day history of fever and sore throat followed by 1 day of wheezing. On examination, he appeared in acute distress. The blood pressure was 129/76 mm Hg, the pulse was 88 per min, the respiratory rate was 22 per min and the temperature was 38.2°C. Auscultation over the upper airway area noted stridor. Chest radiograph showed tracheal stenosis and air along the aorta (figure 1). At the emergency department, he developed respiratory arrest, and the trachea was incubated. CT scan with intravenous contrast showed a space-occupying lesion behind the pharynx and mediastinum emphysema (figure 2). A diagnosis of retropharyngeal abscess with descending necrotising mediastinitis was made. Despite antimicrobial therapy in intensive care, he developed septic shock and died on day 4 after the admission. Patients with retropharyngeal abscess usually have fever, sore throat, odynophagia, drooling and fatigue with dyspnoea and stridor mimicking wheezing in...

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