• Christopher P Kelly and Daniel J Isaacman.
• Department of Pediatrics, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughter's, Norfolk, Virginia 23505, USA.
• J Emerg Med. 2002 Aug 1; 23 (2): 179-82.

AbstractThe diagnosis of retropharyngeal cellulitis and abscess, although most common in children under 6 years of age, is often misdiagnosed in the newborn or early infancy period. The clinical signs of drooling, neck swelling, dysphagia, and torticollis may be absent or not easily identifiable. The following case report details a 2 1/2-month-old infant who presented with fever and irritability, and was subsequently diagnosed with group B streptococcal retropharyngeal cellulitis. Retropharyngeal cellulitis and abscess should be considered in the differential diagnosis of infants and young children who present with fever and irritability, particularly when lumbar puncture results are normal. This case also serves to highlight a rare manifestation of late-onset group B steptococcal disease.

16 keywords...

hide…