N Şık, S Kalkan Bulut, K Akın, A Öztürk, TK Erdağ, D Yılmaz, M Duman

Abstract

To evaluate children diagnosed with deep neck space abscesses (DNSAs) between January 2011 and January 2020, a retrospective chart review was performed. Demographics, clinical manifestations, laboratory and radiological investigations, antibiotic choice, need for surgery, operative reports, length of hospital stay and prognosis were recorded. Sixty-two patients were enrolled. The most common presentation was fever and the most common location was parapharyngeal abscess. Patients who were surgically treated had larger abscess diameters on contrast-enhanced computed tomography compared to those who received conservative treatment (p: 0.025) but we did not find any difference in laboratory data, antibiotic duration and length of hospital stay. Surgical treatment was more common in patients aged 0-5 years compared with those >5 years (p<0.001). Although there is still a lack of consensus on the optimal management or timing for surgery, conservative treatment with close follow-up can be successfully applied in selected cases.