Bilateral Peritonsillar Abscess in Pediatric Age: A Case Report

• Published in: Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine 2024-06, Vol.5 (1), p.55-57
• Main Authors: Azizalrahman, Amani, Alawadh, Areej, Altirkistani, Bsaim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: abscess; case report; lymphadenopathy; pediatric; peritonsillar; tonsils
• ISSN: 1658-8487; 1658-8487
• DOI: 10.24911/SJEMed/72-1690319478

Background: Bilateral peritonsillar abscesses are a rare occurrence in children. Peritonsillar abscess is characterized by the pushing of the tonsils forward and toward the uvula. Untreated acute tonsillitis can lead to the development of peritonsillar abscesses as an early complication. Case presentation: The study presents a rare case report of a 5-year-old male with no prior medical conditions presented with a history of fever (38.5°) and a runny nose for the past 2 days. No abnormalities were observed in chest, cardiovascular, abdominal, or central nervous system examination. Nevertheless, the tonsils appeared to be pushed by a mass and the uvula deviated. Computed tomography (CT) revealed enlarged bilateral palatine tonsils with a few small peritonsillar abscesses measuring 0.7 cm. Thus, bilateral palatine tonsillitis with few peritonsillar small abscesses associated with multilevel cervical lymphadenopathy was diagnosed. Conclusion: The emphasis of the report is the importance of considering peritonsillar abscess as a differential diagnosis when encountering a child with previously reported clinical presentations and characteristics, as in the aforementioned case.