CT findings of descending necrotising mediastinitis via the carotid space ('Lincoln Highway')

A 3-year-old girl with fever and neck swelling showed widening of the superior mediastinum on chest radiographs. Contrast-enhanced CT of the neck revealed ill-defined low-attenuation areas with a thick, enhanced rim adjacent to the hypertrophied palatine tonsil. The abscess extended inferiorly withi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatric radiology 2001-02, Vol.31 (2), p.84-86
Main Authors: KONO, Tatsuo, KOHNO, Atsushi, MISAWA, Masahiro, ITO, Masahiro, OTSUKA, Masahiro, SEKI, Ichiro, KUWASHIMA, Shigeko, IIMURA, Fumitoshi, FUJIOKA, Mutsuhisa, MIYATA, Rie, MIZUSAWA, Youichi, KAGAWA, Fukuko, KANEKO, Shin-Ichi, YOSHINO, Yayoi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Carotid Arteries
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Mediastinitis - diagnostic imaging
Mediastinitis - pathology
Mediastinitis - therapy
Medical sciences
Neck
Necrosis
Non tumoral diseases
Otorhinolaryngology (head neck, general aspects and miscellaneous)
Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology
Thorax
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Summary:A 3-year-old girl with fever and neck swelling showed widening of the superior mediastinum on chest radiographs. Contrast-enhanced CT of the neck revealed ill-defined low-attenuation areas with a thick, enhanced rim adjacent to the hypertrophied palatine tonsil. The abscess extended inferiorly within the carotid sheath between the carotid artery and the internal jugular vein into the anterior mediastinum. The carotid space is considered an important conduit of descending necrotising mediastinitis and is called the 'Lincoln Highway' as previously suggested.
ISSN:0301-0449
1432-1998
DOI:10.1007/s002470000369