Conservative management of complicated retropharyngeal abscess with Antitubercular Therapy

Retropharyngeal abscess, the infection of deep neck spaces, extends from the base of the skull to the posterior mediastinum. It develops as a sequela of dental infection, upper respiratory tract infection, or any interventional procedure like laryngoscopy, endotracheal intubation, etc. Retropharyngeal abscess is a rare presentation of Tuberculosis (TB), with an annual incidence rate of 2.64 per 100,000 population, and gender-based incidence rates of 3.34 for males, and 1.94 for females per 100,000 population.1 It, as a part of head and neck TB, has a prevalence of 0.1-1% among all forms of TB. If not managed timely, it may lead to the spread of its infection to the mediastinum, which can be life-threatening at times, owing to airway compromission and other catastrophic complications like mediastinitis, mediastinal abscess, pericarditis, pyopneumothorax pleuritis and empyema. We hereby present a case of a middle-aged woman diagnosed with a complicated retropharyngeal abscess but managed conservatively with Antitubercular Therapy (ATT).