Transcervical ultrasonography in the diagnosis of pediatric peritonsillar abscess

Objectives/Hypothesis Pediatric peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is a common infection, particularly in the adolescent population. Physical examination alone is not always sufficient to diagnose this pathology, and thus, computed tomography is often utilized as a diagnostic adjunct. With growing concern...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Laryngoscope 2015-12, Vol.125 (12), p.2799-2804
Main Authors: Fordham, M. Taylor, Rock, Alex N., Bandarkar, Anjum, Preciado, Diego, Levy, Michelle, Cohen, Joanna, Safdar, Nabile, Reilly, Brian K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Clinical outcomes
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Male
pediatric head and neck infection
Pediatric peritonsillar abscess
Pediatrics
Peritonsillar Abscess - diagnosis
Peritonsillar Abscess - diagnostic imaging
Predictive Value of Tests
Prospective Studies
Retrospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity
transcervical
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonography
ultrasound
Young Adult
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Summary:Objectives/Hypothesis Pediatric peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is a common infection, particularly in the adolescent population. Physical examination alone is not always sufficient to diagnose this pathology, and thus, computed tomography is often utilized as a diagnostic adjunct. With growing concern over radiation exposure in the pediatric population, we conducted a prospective study to investigate the use of ultrasonography in the detection of pediatric PTA. Study Design Prospective single arm cohort study. Methods Pediatric patients examined in consultation for concern for PTA were prospectively enrolled in the study. Patients were managed based on clinical symptoms and presentation. Transcervical ultrasonography of the peritonsillar region was performed on all patients. Clinical outcomes were reviewed retrospectively and compared to ultrasound findings. Results Forty‐three patients (age range, 2–20 years) were enrolled in the study. The sensitivity and specificity of transcervical ultrasound when compared to clinical outcomes were 100% and 76.5%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 52.9% and 100%, respectively. Fisher exact test showed a statistically significant association (P 
ISSN:0023-852X
1531-4995
DOI:10.1002/lary.25354