All issues > Volume 51(9); 2008

Case Report

Korean J Pediatr. 2008;51(9):1023-1027. Published online September 15, 2008.

Kawasaki disease presenting as retropharyngeal abscess

Sung Yoon SY Cho¹, Hye Kyung HK Cho¹, Ky Young KY Cho¹, Hae Soon HS Kim¹, Sejung SJ Sohn¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Sejung SJ Sohn ,Email: sohn@ewha.ac.kr

Abstract

A group of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) initially present with cervical lymphadenitis or deep neck infection. These unusual KD presentations lead to unnecessary antibiotic therapy or surgical intervention, thereby delaying intravenous immunoglobulin treatment and increasing the risk of coronary artery damage. We present four KD patients whose initial presentations mimicked a retropharyngeal abscess. Nonsuppurative cervical lymphadenitis or suspected neck abscess unresponsive to intravenous antibiotics could signal the possibility of KD.

Keywords :Kawasaki disease, Retropharyngeal abscess